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How AI worsens online violence against Middle East women
Women in the Middle East face high levels of online harassment, and the growing availability of AI tools is making abuse easier to create and spread. Journalists and activists interviewed describe unwanted contact, degrading comments and threats, while researchers warn that AI can intensify targeted disinformation and image-based abuse.
UN Women research found that 68% of women in the region had experienced technology-facilitated gender-based violence, and nearly all had witnessed it online. In a 2025 study, 49% of women internet users said they did not feel safe from online harassment, rising to almost 70% among publicly visible activists, journalists and politicians; a UN briefing said about a quarter of women who faced online violence at work had identified abuse generated or amplified by AI.
In short
- Online abuse is widespread among women in the Middle East.
- AI makes targeted harassment and non-consensual imagery easier to produce.
- Public-facing women report especially low feelings of online safety.
Explained simply
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence is abuse carried out or spread through digital tools, including social media, messaging apps and AI systems. It can include harassment, threats, false claims and the creation or sharing of intimate images without consent.
Women journalists, activists and politicians can face particular exposure because their work makes them publicly visible. AI tools can make it quicker to produce convincing false material or target people with repeated abuse, while online platforms can help that content reach wider audiences.
The issue matters because online abuse can affect women’s safety, privacy and ability to take part in public life. Research cited by UN Women found that many women in the region had experienced or witnessed technology-facilitated violence, though experiences vary between individuals and countries.
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