Spaces of violence and resistance: women’s rights in the digital world

As online spaces become increasingly central in our everyday lives, forms of online violence have proliferated and we are witnessing an escalation in their enactment, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

While online violence impacts all persons using and interacting with digital spaces, in particular social media platforms, women tend to be more systematically targeted. Among women, intersecting identities mean that some groups are ‘overexposed’ to violence online, including activists, women human rights defenders and members of the LGBTIQ+ community.

Despite its escalation and diversification, very little has been done to highlight the extent and multiplicity of the issue of online violence against women and girls in the MENA Region. EuroMed Rights’ report “Spaces of violence and resistance: women’s rights in the online world”, is a result of a desk research and interviews with feminist activists from the region.

This study draws out unfortunate trends and similarities across the region with a particular focus on the situation in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey.