A United Nations report says that one in three women worldwide will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. With the development of advanced technology, such violence against women and girls has taken on new and relatively more painful forms.

Patricia, UN Women Nepal Representative, says, ‘The UN’s vision for a safe digital space for women and girls is one where they can participate freely and confidently online. And, they are supported by accountable institutions, rights-based legal systems, and a society that does not allow violence to hide behind mobile screens.’

Kantipur spoke to UN Women Nepal Representative Patricia Fernandez-Pache on this topic:  How has the UN assessed the global situation regarding digital violence against women? What trends have you seen?

We have the very sad statistic that one in every three women is subject to gender-based violence. Forms of digital violence are increasing widely. We estimate that digital violence affects 16 to 58 percent of women. The use of AI technologies such as ‘deepfake’ has exacerbated this problem.

95 percent of ‘deepfake content’ seen online is made from ‘pornographic images’ taken without consent. ‘Manospheres’ or male-centric communities that spread misogynistic ideas are deepening harmful gender norms both ‘online and offline’. This appears to be linked to femicide or ‘femicide’. In 2023, a woman was killed by a member of her own family every 10 minutes. Such trends confirm that digital violence is the fastest growing threat to women’s rights and public participation.

As internet access increases in Nepal, incidents of online abuse against women are also increasing. What similarities and differences do you see when comparing Nepal with other countries where UN Women works?

Nepal’s situation in this regard reflects global trends. In the financial year 2024/25, out of 18,926 cases registered with the Cyber ​​Bureau, 7,921 complaints were filed by female applicants. Cases involving children also increased from 176 to 706. These figures are only the registered incidents. This indicates that the true picture of digital violence is much larger. In Nepal, like in many other countries, new challenges such as misogynistic content and ‘deepfakes’ are on the rise.

However, Nepal’s existing legal framework (Electronic Transactions Act, 2063) and the Criminal Code Act (2074) do not clearly identify these new forms of digital violence. This has made women and girls more vulnerable and they have to face further humiliation when seeking help. Last February, the Committee under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) expressed clear concern about the prevalence of online gender-based violence in Nepal. 

A study by UN Women shows that certain groups such as journalists, leaders, activists and sexual minorities are more vulnerable to online abuse. Who seems to be ‘targeted’ the most in Nepal? 

A study conducted in 13 districts of Nepal found that more than a third of young women and girls have experienced online abuse. In a national survey of female journalists, 88.6 percent said they had faced online attacks, 53 percent had experienced abuse related to their professional work, and 21.4 percent said that online abuse had escalated to offline threats or physical violence.

The perpetrators in such incidents ranged from the victim’s colleagues, employees, strangers to political figures. Digital violence replicates and amplifies deep-rooted gender inequalities. When the experience of digital spaces is not pleasant, women and girls withdraw from educational platforms, online work opportunities, and public discourse. As a result, gender participation declines. This also undermines Nepal’s broader aspirations for inclusive development and digital transformation. 

UN Women has been working on prevention, victim-friendly services, and digital literacy. Have you taken any initiatives in Nepal? 

This year, we are putting online gender-based violence at the center of public debate, especially with young people, and promoting prevention and digital literacy. Last June, we created and translated the ‘Online Gender-Based Violence Toolkit’ into Nepali and released it. It includes practical guidance on how to prevent abuse and some guidance for those at risk and those who can support them.

As part of this year’s ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence’, we collaborated with young artists to design a mural in Lalitpur. It depicts a woman who has escaped online abuse and reached a safe ‘space’. Similarly, in partnership with Kathmandu Metropolitan City, we are displaying informative posters on 16 digital billboards for 16 days.