Syria ׃What gender‑based violence online means for women
April 2, 2026
A new DW Akademie study has mapped how gender‑based violence online (GBVO) in
Syria a몭ects women’s ability to speak, work and participate in public life.
Gender-based violence online is a form of social control in Syria. It escalates when women become visible. This has
consequences not only for the individual, but also for the public debate and inclusive peacebuilding process (Picture shows
Syrian people gathering to celebrate the first anniversary of the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Latakia, Syria on December
08, 2025)
Image ׃Sevket Akca/Anadolu/picture alliance
Drawing on desk research, interviews and focus group discussions with media professionals, civil society
actors, legal experts and survivors, as well as an exploratory scan of Facebook and Telegram, DW
Akademie’s study“Safer Platforms, Stronger Participation – Mapping gender-based violence online in
Syria” shows that online abuse is not a side issue. It is a structural problem that shapes who can be visible,
who feels safe and who is pushed out of digital and public spaces.
DW Akademie's new study
Here are the main takeaways from the study and discussions with Syrian media and civil society
stakeholders׃
GBVO in Syria is systemic, not “isolated incidents”
The study finds that GBVO in Syria is not a series of one‑o몭 a몭acks, but a normalized and systemic
pa몭ern. Abuse is widespread across platforms and communities and cuts across di몭erent political and
social divides.
Women who post opinions, appear in media, run small businesses or simply share photos can be
targeted. Many respondents described online abuse as an expected “cost” of visibility ׃something every
woman must factor in before speaking or working online. This normalization makes abuse harder to
challenge and easier to ignore.
Gender-based violence online
According to UN Women
, technology-facilitated violence against women and girls refers to any act
that is commi몭ed, 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.
Sexual harassment and stalking are the most commonly reported forms of technology-facilitated violence
worldwide. Others are cyberbullying, hate speech, sexual exploitation, defamation, intimate image-sharing,
sextortion, revenge porn.