On 7th of may 2024 a new European directive was implemented. The adoption of Directive (EU) 2024/1385 marks a significant step in the EU’s commitment to combating violence against women and domestic violence. This legislative framework, established after approval by the European Parliament and formal adoption by the Council, obliges Member States to integrate its provisions into national law by 14 June 2027. It criminalizes severe forms of violence against women, both offline and online, including non-consensual sharing of intimate images, cyberstalking, cyber harassment, and gender-based incitement to violence and hatred.

‘Using TikTok is very normal nowadays. That’s why I didn’t think twice about posting a video of my opinion on the American elections. I was mad! As a result of that anger I pressed post and went to bed immediately after. I woke up to my phone blowing up with angry comments saying things like: ‘your body, my choice’ and ‘cry about it bitch, you are worth nothing’. This is exactly why laws like this one should be implemented, to introduce some sort of common decency and knowledge on how to not be a dick to women.’ Says Kai Zedora who has experienced gender-based online violence. ‘Why do men always feel the need to put women down? I just don’t get it. It’s like they don’t understand how to give respect to any other gender than their own. Now I have to endure the ongoing harassment because of one small comment I made. That shouldn’t be normal!’ 

Global research conducted by Plan International and CNN’s As Equals has highlighted the widespread issue of online harassment faced by girls and young women. The study, which gathered insights from 624 participants aged 13-24 across nine countries, revealed that one in 10 girls reported harmful online experiences daily or almost daily, while nearly 40% experienced harassment at least monthly. A staggering 75% had encountered harmful incidents at some point, with 44% exposed to unsolicited sexual content and 25% subjected to hate speech or discrimination. Despite showing notable digital resilience, 67% of the respondents felt primarily responsible for their own online safety. However, they emphasized the need for a collective response involving tech companies, governments, authorities, and the broader community to share the responsibility. The research underscored that Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram were the most commonly cited platforms for such negative encounters.

‘Online harassment frequently targets women, often involving gender-based abuse and discrimination. This type of harassment can include threats, derogatory comments, and attempts to intimidate or silence women, as well as online sexual harassment, cyberstalking, and image-based sexual abuse,’ says Durham University. ‘Women are particularly vulnerable to compounded harassment when intersecting with other identities such as race, sexuality, or disability, leading to increased discrimination. These behaviours create significant challenges to women’s safety and well-being in digital spaces.’ At the time of publishing, it is too soon to report any concrete results from the directive. Its effects are not yet clear, as Member States are still in the early stages of putting the directive into practice. More noticeable outcomes will take time as countries work to integrate the new measures into their laws and policies.

‘I fear that it’s never going to stop,’ says Marcela Delgado who experienced online abuse. ‘Men hating women just because they’re women. It’s just how society has shaped itself to be. Catcalling, body-shaming, death threats and the list goes on, everything has shifted from in real life, towards our phone screens. To be a man hating on a woman, it’s much easier to cower behind an anonymous account, than showing your face next to what you say. It’s cowardly and everyone that thinks it’s okay should re-think their values. We should all work together on this world, not work against each other.’