| “It is important to recognize that the internet is now being used in a context of widespread and systematic structural discrimination and gender-based violence against women and girls, which limits their access to and use of the internet and other information and communication technologies….
Online violence forces women to stay away from the internet, and research indicates that 28% of women who have experienced ICT-based violence have intentionally reduced their online presence. Other common consequences of this violence include social isolation, as victims or survivors withdraw from public life, including interactions with family and friends, as well as reduced mobility when they lose their freedom to move about safely.” Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, on violence against women and girls on the Internet from a human rights perspective (A/HRC/38/47)
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The current era is witnessing a structural transformation in the nature of public spaces, where cyberspace is no longer merely a technological tool that provides convenience, but has become a vital arena for exercising citizenship, expressing opinions, and achieving economic and political empowerment. However, in the age of artificial intelligence, the concept of “forced digital displacement” has emerged as a contemporary human rights violation whose psychological, social, and legal dimensions are no less serious than those of physical geographical displacement[1] . Although the United Nations Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement[2] were formulated in the context of physical geographical displacement[3] , technological advancements and the era of artificial intelligence necessitate an expansion of the interpretation of these principles to include forced digital displacement. The essential elements of displacement—fear of persecution, loss of resources, threats to life and reputation, etc.—are now fully realized within the virtual space.
Technology-facilitated violence against women is a growing concern that often remains unrecognized and underreported. In the 2021 study “[4] ,” which examined online violence against women in 45 countries worldwide, it was found that 85 percent of the women surveyed had experienced online violence, including harassment, the sharing of intimate and sexual content via social media, sexual blackmail, cyberbullying, and the exploitation of women in pornography.
[1] Gender-Based Violence Against Women and Girls: New Frontiers and Emerging Issues, Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Its Causes and Consequences, June 2025. https://docs.un.org/ar/A/HRC/59/47
[2] https://docs.un.org/ar/e/cn4./1998/53/add.2
[3] https://hrlibrary.umn.edu/arab/IDP-guiding.html
[4] Ibid., Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, section VI.e53.. (A/HRC/59/47)
