Brief on Digital Violence in the Arab States: Overview and Legal Good Practices

Violence against women and girls continues to be the most widespread human right violation globally, with serious impacts on women and girls’ health and lives. Over the past years, rapid technological developments have amplified the issue, creating additional forms and patterns of violence, and expanding the reach of perpetrators into digital spaces.

Technology-facilitated VAWG refers to “any act that is committed, assisted, aggravated, or amplified by the use of information communication technologies or other digital tools, that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological, social, political, or economic harm, or other infringements of rights and freedoms”. Other terms, such as digital or online violence, are also commonly used.