Derechos Digitales publishes new discussion paper on technology-facilitated gender-based violence
Derechos Digitales’ new discussion paper examines how technology-facilitated gender-based violence has become a persistent human rights concern that mirrors and deepens existing gender inequalities. Using international human rights law as its framework, the paper identifies major shortcomings in current national legislation, including inconsistent definitions, overreliance on criminal responses, weak safeguards, and limited avenues for redress. It also details how the speed, scale, and cross-border nature of digital technologies intensify harms, often silencing women and LGBTQIA+ people in public and political life. The analysis, grounded in comparative legal research and expert consultation, underscores the need for rights-based, survivor-centred approaches that address TFGBV as part of a broader continuum of gender-based discrimination.
Derechos Digitales has released a detailed discussion paper examining how international human rights law can guide legislative responses to technology-facilitated gender-based violence, a form of abuse that continues to grow in scale and severity across digital and offline environments. The publication, developed with support from UNFPA, argues that TFGBV is not an isolated phenomenon but part of a continuum of gender-based violence shaped by long-standing structural inequalities. It stresses that digital interactions carry real-world consequences and must be addressed through legal frameworks that recognise the interconnectedness of online and offline harms.
The paper highlights significant gaps in national legislation, noting that most countries lack norms specifically designed to address TFGBV. Where laws exist, they often rely on criminal approaches that fail to balance rights, provide limited remedies for victims, and sometimes even expose women and LGBTQIA+ people to additional risks. Drawing on a review of eight national laws from different regions, the authors identify recurring shortcomings, including inconsistent definitions, the absence of survivor-centred safeguards, and inadequate mechanisms to ensure accountability from digital platforms. These issues, the report warns, contribute to persistent impunity and restrict victims’ ability to seek justice.
Beyond analysing legislative trends, the paper situates TFGBV within broader social and technological dynamics. It shows how digital tools can simultaneously expand opportunities for expression and reinforce existing discrimination. The rapid dissemination of harmful content, ease of anonymity, and cross-border nature of online activity intensify the impact of abuse, leading to psychological distress, self-censorship, and withdrawal from public life. These effects, the authors argue, undermine democratic participation and deepen gender inequalities. The findings of the study also informed a complementary UNFPA guidance document on rights-based law reform, aiming to support states in establishing protections that uphold legality, necessity and proportionality while centring the rights and safety of victims and survivors
