DW Akademie has published a new study on gender‑based violence online (GBVO) in Syria, showing how harassment, threats and blackmail on digital platforms are silencing women’s voices and pushing them out of public life. The study “Safer platforms, stronger participation – Mapping gender-based violence online in Syria,”, was conducted by the research organisation Ektimisi as part of DW Akademie’s project “Strong Female Voices for a United Syria”.
Using an exploratory mixed‑methods approach – desk review, interviews, focus groups and an exploratory scan of platforms such as Facebook and Telegram - the study finds that GBVO in Syria is not just isolated incidents but rather a systemic pattern of control.