TFGBV Stakeholder Engagement, Key Insights Summary

Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) refers to acts of harm, harassment, or abuse perpetrated through digital platforms, including social media, messaging apps, online forums, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. As digital connectivity expands globally, TFGBV has become one of the fastest-growing forms of violence, disproportionately affecting women, girls, and marginalized groups. Common manifestations include cyberstalking, online sexual harassment, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, impersonation, sextortion, and the creation of AI-generated deepfakes.

In recent years, technological sophistication has amplified both the scale and anonymity of abuse. Artificial intelligence and machine learning tools, while transformative in many sectors, have also enabled new forms of manipulation and exploitation, such as deepfake pornography and automated hate speech campaigns. Meanwhile, social media algorithms often perpetuate online misogyny and hate, making digital spaces increasingly unsafe.

The global rise in TFGBV underscores the urgent need for stronger policy, legal, and institutional responses that keep pace with technological change. Beyond legal reform, addressing TFGBV requires a holistic strategy that includes digital literacy, victim-centered interventions, ethical technology design, and cross-sector collaboration to ensure that technology serves as a tool for empowerment rather than oppression.

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