of digital citizenship and political agency. Digital citizenship entails the right to
participate fully and safely in the online public sphere, yet these strategies force
women into a compromised presence. By anonymizing themselves, they are not
exercising a right but managing a threat, effectively being pushed from public
participation into semi-private or obscured existence. This directly undermines
their political agency, their capacity to act and speak as political beings in digital
spaces.
The data reveals that this is not a simple choice but a manifestation of the "chilling
effect," where women pre-emptively limit their expression to avoid violence. As
one participant starkly illustrated: “I used to post about human rights and girls’
education. Now I keep my account private and only share food pictures.” This shift
from political commentary to apolitical content is a direct suppression of selfexpression and a loss to public discourse. Many respondents described a gradual
process of being silenced, diminishing their voices and shrinking their digital
presence to avoid stalking, harassment, and shaming.
Furthermore, this chilling effect operates not only through direct experience but
also through observation. Young women witness the orchestrated hate campaigns
and violent comments directed at other women who voice their opinions or simply
exist online. It is therefore a rational calculation for them to selfcensor before engaging in political discourse as a pre-emptive measure to protect
themselves. This demonstrates that the impact of Technology-Facilitated GenderBased Violence (TFGBV) on democratic participation is both direct and vicarious,
profoundly impacting younger women who are heavy users of these platforms.
In sum, TFGBV silences not only individuals but whole generations of potential
women leaders. By systematically dismantling women's sense of safety and
belonging online, it erodes the very foundations of their digital citizenship and
curtails their political agency before it can be fully realized, creating a democratic
deficit with long-term consequences.
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