Ahead of World Press Freedom Day, UN Women has raised alarm over a sharp rise in digital attacks against women journalists, revealing that incidents of online violence have doubled since 2020.
In a new report, the agency said nearly one in four affected women journalists now experience anxiety and depression linked to online harassment, underscoring the growing psychological toll of digital abuse.
The report, titled “Tipping Point: Online Violence—Impacts, Manifestations and Redress in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Age,” was produced in collaboration with TheNerve and other partners. It highlights how evolving technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, are intensifying threats against women in media and public life.
According to the findings, 12 per cent of surveyed women journalists and human rights defenders reported non-consensual sharing of personal or intimate images, while six per cent said they had been victims of deepfake manipulation. Additionally, nearly one in three respondents disclosed receiving unsolicited sexual advances online.
The report noted that such attacks are often coordinated and targeted, with the intent to silence women and undermine their professional credibility. As a result, 41 per cent of respondents admitted to self-censoring on social media, while 19 per cent said they had scaled back their professional output.
Reacting to the findings, UN Women’s Chief of the Ending Violence Against Women Section, Kalliopi Mingerou, warned that emerging technologies are worsening the situation.
“AI is making abuse easier and more damaging, fuelling the erosion of hard-won rights in a context marked by democratic backsliding and networked misogyny,” she said, calling for urgent legal and institutional responses.
Meanwhile, Nigeria recorded a modest improvement in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), ranking 112th out of 180 countries. This marks a 10-place rise from its 122nd position in 2025.
