The EU Council calls for stronger action to protect women from online violence

Brussels – “We are acknowledging that cyber violence against girls is real, widespread, and rapidly evolving, and that protecting them in the digital age is a shared European responsibility.” This was stated today (29 June) by Cyprus’s Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, Clea Papaellina, after the Council of the European Union adopted conclusions to strengthen the protection of girls and young women from online violence. More specifically, the Council called on Member States and the European Commission to implement more effective measures “to prevent and combat various forms of online abuse, including cyberstalking, online harassment, non-consensual sharing of images and sexist hate speech.” This means “providing schools and parents with the awareness and tools needed to protect young women, while also ensuring greater effectiveness on the part of law enforcement agencies, so that online violence has real consequences,” explained Papaellina. The conclusions are based on a report by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) entitled “From lived reality to policy action: Combating cyber violence against girls in the EU“. 

Interviews conducted by EIGE with adolescents across the EU highlight that “cyberviolence disproportionately affects girls and young women” and that they are more frequently “targeted” than boys, often from the moment they start using digital technologies and social media. As regards Italy, the report cites a statistical survey by the Osservatorio Indifesa, which found that almost 80 per cent of adolescents considered the internet to be a dangerous place. The main concerns include: cyberbullying (23 per cent), identity theft and social isolation (both 18 per cent), while other issues included the non-consensual misuse of intimate images (14 per cent), harassment (10 per cent) and stalking (7 per cent). The report also notes that girls and young women aged 13 to 18 consider current prevention measures inadequate. On this point, the Council emphasised that “cyber violence is rooted in systemic inequalities and harmful gender norms that normalise male aggression and victim-blaming, and that online violence often extends to harmful behaviour in real life.” 

To tackle this issue, EU ministers reiterated “the urgent need to take decisive action at both national and European level.” These measures must therefore focus “on supporting victims, raising awareness, enforcing legislation and conducting research into the dynamics and causes of cyber violence.” On victim support, the Council “called on national governments to provide assistance, mental health support and legal aid, with particular attention to intersectional factors such as age, disability, and sexual orientation.” In recognising that “the non-consensual sharing of explicit images is a serious form of violence,” the ministers emphasised “the importance of digital consent education,” calling for the promotion of “a culture of digital self-awareness in schools.” On this point, the conclusions highlight “the importance of training teachers, educators, and all pupils in gender-sensitive digital literacy.” This includes “online safety, identifying disinformation and awareness of technologies that promote gender-based violence.” To this end, the Council emphasised “greater involvement of women in the design and development of digital technologies,” which is considered a “vital element in improving online safety from a gender perspective.” 

In addition, the Council calls for guidance to be provided to parents, guardians and professionals who care for children, to equip them with the appropriate tools to “respond to technology-facilitated abuse, as well as practical tools such as free parental control software.” Similarly, the Council has recommended providing teachers and other professionals with training on how to respond to reports from those who have experienced online violence, so that they can intervene safely in cases of cyberviolence. 

As regards the strictly legal aspects of the issue, the need to improve regulation and enforcement was emphasised, including that of existing EU legislation such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the AI Act, as more needs to be done “to identify evidence online and strengthen cross-border cooperation.” To this end, ministers called for greater investment in the technical skills and resources of law enforcement agencies and NGOs. It is also necessary to recognise “the responsibility of economic actors, including online platforms and social media providers,” as it is their duty “to proactively pursue safety by design, effectively moderate content, and prevent the misuse of their services.” This entails “promoting adequate funding for ‘trusted flaggers’—individuals specialised in identifying and reporting illegal content, including cases of gender-based violence.” In this regard, it is hoped that there will be “closer cooperation between the private sector and law enforcement agencies, particularly with a view to identifying cases of human trafficking.” 

As cyber violence is a rapidly evolving phenomenon, the conclusions finally emphasise the need to invest in long-term research, so that it can be based on concrete data and analyse the psychological, social and economic impacts on girls. The ministers consider it important to “study the root causes, motivations, and tactics underlying online abuse, including sexist hate speech promoted by ‘manosphere’ communities (a diverse ecosystem of digital communities bringing together misogynistic and anti-feminist groups) and ‘incels’ (people prone to social isolation who harbour deep resentment and overt hatred towards women), which are becoming increasingly influential.”