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Elif Ekin Saltık
The United Nations in Türkiye placed digital violence at the center of this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) campaign, which ran from November 25 to December 10, Human Rights Day. The digital campaign aimed to draw attention to the rising forms of violence faced by women and girls in online spaces and challenge the perception that abuse in virtual environments is somehow less harmful or less real.
Under the theme “Put an End to Digital Violence Against Women and Girls: Digital Violence Is Real Violence!”, the campaign sought to make digital violence more visible and reinforce its recognition as a serious form of gender-based violence. It called on society to break its silence and take responsibility for addressing online harms, including cyber harassment, online threats, cyberbullying, the non-consensual sharing of private images, and violence enabled by data leaks.
“Half of women and girls worldwide are victims of digital violence”
UN Women Country Director for Türkiye Maryse Guimond stresses that digital violence is a widespread and urgent problem, noting that half of women and girls worldwide still lack adequate legal protection in online spaces. “This situation must change urgently,” she says, describing digital violence as a “lived reality that silences women, restricts their participation in public life, and follows them from screens into their homes, schools, and workplaces.”
A collective problem, not an individual one
UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative to Türkiye Mariam Khan also insists that digital violence is not an individual or purely technological issue, but a collective human rights challenge. Pointing to alarming global trends, she argues that responsibility must be shared across society. “With the ‘Put an End to It’ campaign, we call on governments, technology companies, civil society, and individuals to invest in digital security, starting with the design of technology itself, so that all spaces, including digital ones, are safe, equitable, and empowering for women and girls,” Khan says.
Digital violence takes many forms, ranging from repeated harassment and hostile messages to cyberstalking and hate speech.
The campaign's call
Through this campaign, UN Türkiye highlighted how digital violence undermines women’s freedom, privacy, and social participation. The initiative calls on public institutions, civil society organizations, technology companies, and individuals to recognize the seriousness of digital violence, support survivors, and take concrete steps to prevent and combat abuse in online environments.
Data on digital violence and the situation in Turkey
Recent data underline the scale of the problem in Türkiye and beyond: studies show that one in five women in Türkiye has experienced digital violence at some point in her life, while globally, approximately 38% of women report having directly experienced or witnessed online violence, with young women and girls aged 18-24 among the most exposed groups.
The campaign also draws attention to the role of data leaks as a key driver of digital violence. The unauthorized exposure of personal information, photographs, and other private data from online platforms often enables blackmail, harassment, and defamation. In Türkiye, major data breaches in recent years have been linked to an increase in digital violence against women, amplifying both the reach and intensity of abuse.
Digital violence takes many forms, ranging from repeated harassment and hostile messages to cyberstalking and hate speech. Common manifestations include persistent online threats or insults, the non-consensual sharing of private images—often referred to as “revenge porn”—the constant monitoring of individuals’ online activities, and the spread of misogynistic, racist, or homophobic content. Together, these practices demonstrate that while the world may be virtual, the harm inflicted through digital violence is deeply real.
