Online Violence Against Women and Girls Must End
Violence against women and girls includes the digital world
International Women’s Day is a moment to take stock of the progress being made, whilst also being honest about the challenges that remain for women and girls online. For many, abuse does not stop offline. It can continue through phones, social media, emails, apps, and other digital spaces that are part of everyday life.
“I haven’t been able to eat, sleep, or go outside.”
“I want my life back. I want this to stop.”
Technology-facilitated abuse takes many forms: stalking through location sharing, monitoring of accounts and messages, coordinated harassment campaigns, impersonation, and intimate image abuse. What they all have in common is that they use the tools of everyday life as instruments of control.
We know that not all survivors experience this abuse, or access support, in the same way. Ofcom’s guidance specifically recognises that women and girls are affected differently online depending on factors including age, sexuality, gender identity, race and ethnicity. An effective response therefore needs to be inclusive, accessible, and alive to the barriers some survivors face in getting help.
The UK response to tackling online violence
In the UK, the Online Safety Act 2023 created a new framework that places duties on platforms and search services to reduce the risk of illegal activity and remove illegal content. Ofcom is the regulator responsible for overseeing this framework.
There have also been important developments around abuse involving intimate images. In November 2025, Ofcom published guidance on creating a safer online environment for women and girls, setting out practical steps platforms should take to better prevent and respond to harms that disproportionately affect them. Recent legal changes have also strengthened the response to intimate image abuse - including criminalising the creation of, or requests to create, non-consensual intimate images and deepfakes of adults. Further reforms are expected through the Crime and Policing Bill, but there is still so much more that needs to be done.
“I don’t know what to do. I keep trying to report but I’m either told it’s not real or they just don’t want to help.”
“I don’t know what next steps are or if there’s an end in sight.”
Why legislation isn’t enough to protect women and girls online
New legislation is necessary, but it isn't enough on its own. Survivors need support that is trauma-informed, inclusive, and responsive to the realities of digital abuse. Women and girls need services and systems in place that understand online harms, recognise unequal barriers to support, and do not place the burden on survivors to prove what has happened.
“I have had to move continuously, changing everything including devices, routers, phone numbers, even my identity.”
Technology-facilitated abuse is an area where understanding is uneven - among police, platforms, and support services alike. Survivors shouldn't have to explain themselves to seek justice and feel safe again. This means we need investments in knowledge and practice, not just legislation.
This International Women’s Day, our message is not only that women and girls deserve safety online, but that this safety must be inclusive, meaningful, and backed by action. Real, systemic change means creating a response that understands online harm, takes it seriously, and ensures support is accessible to every survivor.