In modern day, the digital and physical worlds intertwine ever more firmly, and the fight against technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) becomes important to the broader struggle for women’s rights and gender equality.
The United Nations defined TFGBV as the use of digital tools and platforms to commit harmful acts targeting a group of people because of their gender, identity, or sex. It is a serious and growing threat in Egypt and around the world, as technology and social media usage spread exponentially.
These acts can include digital stalking, cyber harassment, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, doxxing — which is publishing private information — sextortion, which is blackmail using threats to release sexual content, identity theft, and online hate speech.
According to the United Nations Programme for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), women and girls are “disproportionately” more affected by TFGBV than men.
Digital violence against women crosses boundaries and oceans. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and allied agencies report that 16 to 58 percent of women worldwide have faced technology-related abuse, and 90 to 95 percent of deepfake and non-consensual sexual content targets women.
In Egypt, between 16 and 58 percent of women in Egypt have experienced such violence according to Minister of Social Solidarity Maya Morsy, with 38 percent reporting personal online abuse and 85 percent witnessing digital violence against other women as of November 2024.
Digital harms in Egyptian women’s lives
A survey published in the Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences in 2022 reported that 90 percent of female respondents encountered online sexual harassment or cyber-stalking.
Forty percent of respondents in another 2022 survey reported experiencing multiple incidents of cyber harassment by strangers online over the course of one year.
A range of TFGBV cases sheds light on the dim reality Egyptian women live in. These include illegal filming, blackmail using private photos and videos, defamation through social media, and cases in which perpetrators used recordings of sexual violence to extort or coerce victims.
Like any type of abuse, digital violence can lead to psychological trauma, reputational damage, economic harm, and social isolation, often silencing victims or forcing them offline altogether.
While technology can empower women socially and professionally, online spaces are now weaponized against those who benefit from these gains.
Female human rights defenders, journalists, and activists are often disproportionately targeted, with over 40 percent of them stating that online attacks sometimes escalate into real-world threats, attacks, or violence, according to a UN Women and partners study.
The trend reaches Egypt as well, where digital attacks on women’s rights activists and journalists are increasingly common. According to reports, among these targets are feminist activist Aya Munir, women’s issues journalist Asmaa Hamed, journalist Marianna Sami, feminist activist, writer Ghadeer Ahmed, and feminist journalist Raneem Al-Afifi.
Digital threats and legal gaps
Egypt’s legal framework addresses a range of online harms through its Cybercrime Law, 175/2018, and related statutes aimed at combating information technology crimes.
This law criminalizes unauthorized access to private data, hacking, publication of material violating privacy, and misuse of digital platforms, applying penalties such as imprisonment and substantial fines for various offenses.
For example, publishing private images without consent or invading personal digital space can carry prison sentences of two to five years, along with fines for reputational or privacy damage.
In addition to cybercrime law, Egyptian penal code provisions against sexual harassment extend to online harassment, carrying prison sentences of six months to five years and fines in some interpretations. However, because these laws do not explicitly define “technology-facilitated gender-based violence,” gaps remain in how gender-specific digital abuses are identified and prosecuted.
Calls for stronger penalties
Despite legislative progress, advocates argue that enforcement and penalties lag behind the rapid evolution of digital abuses.
In practice, while harassment and defamation are criminalized, cyber violence cases continue to rise, and prosecutions can be lengthy, inconsistent, or difficult to pursue.
Political organizations, such as The Future of the Nation Party, and women’s rights advocates, and lawyers Mona Fathy and Asmaa Telib have called for clearer legal definitions of TFGBV, stronger penalties for perpetrators, and better support for victims navigating the justice system.
In parallel, policymakers, tech platforms, and civil society are increasingly focused on closing legal gaps and strengthening protections to combat online violence against women.
According to the UN Women’s 16 Days of Activism campaign, to protect women in the digital age, legal reforms must be paired with broader cultural shifts, challenging gender norms, educating users about digital safety, and holding perpetrators accountable in both online and offline spaces.
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