Women in public life, including parliamentarians and journalists, face high levels of psychological violence, harassment, and threats, often tied to their gender. These forms of violence not only threaten their personal safety but also hinder gender equality and democratic participation.
Violence against women lawmakers:
Across five regions, 82 per cent of women parliamentarians reported having experienced some form of psychological violence while serving their terms. This included remarks, gestures, and images of a sexist or humiliating sexual nature, threats, and mobbing. Social media is the main platform for this type of abuse, with nearly half (44 per cent) of women lawmakers reporting receiving death, rape, assault, or abduction threats towards them or their families. Sicty-five per cent of women parliamentarians reported being subjected to sexist remarks, primarily by male colleagues in parliament.
Violence against women journalists:
A global survey revealed that 73% of women journalists have experienced online violence.
20% said they had been attacked or abused offline in connection with online violence they had experienced.
The reporting theme most often linked to heightened attacks on women journalists was gender (49%), followed by politics and elections (44%), and human rights and social policy (31%).
https://www.unwomen.org