WOMEN journalists are facing worsening online violence, with many resorting to self-censorship, refraining from public discourse, and even abandoning their jobs, a UN survey shows.
The 2025 survey by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, or UN Women, reported that 22 percent of women journalists are likely to report online violence incidents — twice as high compared to just 11 percent in 2020.
“Women’s exposure to online violence is increasingly stifling their voices, with alarming rates of self-censorship reported by our survey respondents,” the authors noted.
They also found that 45 percent of women journalists and media workers said they self-censor online because of online violence — a sharp increase from 30 percent in 2020.
The authors called the phenomenon an “escalating chilling effect" on women’s freedom of expression.
Despite the increase, the survey found that help-seeking behavior among women has also increased, with 14 percent being more likely to take legal action — compared to just 8 percent in 2020.
“These findings may reflect the increasing incidence of online violence against women in the public sphere, in combination with rising impunity for such attacks from Big Tech companies and growing awareness of the problem. However, it should be acknowledged that going to the police or taking legal action may not necessarily lead to justice for survivors,” the authors said, noting that 24 percent of women who reported online violence to the police were “victim-blamed.”
They also expounded on how this rising incidence has taken a toll on women, especially on their mental health.
One of the respondents said her mental health was directly affected by the worsening online violence crisis, saying she quit her job due to the pressure.
“When we speak aloud about democracy, there is no ‘feel’ of democracy — only a ‘demo of craziness.' Unable to cope with the relentless pressure, I resigned from my job in December 2023. I am now sitting at home, focused solely on restoring my mental wellness,” she said.
“This necessary retreat has caused severe financial problems; I am currently subsisting on rice porridge, a direct consequence of being forced into silence and out of work,” she added.
The UN Women's survey found that 24.4 percent of the respondents have been diagnosed with or treated for anxiety or depression.
The report also pointed to what it described as rising impunity for online attacks, including failures by major technology companies to adequately address gender-based abuse targeting women in the public sphere.
To address these issues, UN Women called for the need to address the socio-cultural conditions that fuel online violence.
