Women’s leadership in the digital era: advancing access to justice in online political spaces

March 24, 2026

On the margins of CSW70, UNDP, UN’s DPPA-EAD, Sida, and Ukraine convened a high-level side event examining the rise of technology-facilitated violence against women in public and political life, an issue increasingly recognized as a direct threat to democratic participation and institutional trust. The session drew a full room with standing attendance, reflecting both urgency and growing policy relevance. Opening perspectives, including from Halyna Skipalska of Ukraine and Åsa Andersson of Sweden, underscored both the relevance of this issue in conflict-affected contexts and its broader implications for democratic participation in an increasingly digital political landscape.

Bringing together perspectives from electoral institutions, civil society, and women in political leadership, the session was deliberately structured to reflect the cross-system nature of the challenge, offering a cross-sectoral view of a rapidly evolving threat. Experiences from Mexico, Jordan, Morocco, and Ukraine demonstrated that, despite differing contexts, the nature of the challenge is strikingly consistent: digital political violence is structured, targeted, and often transnational, aimed at discrediting and silencing women in public life.

Setting the context from a frontline perspective, Halyna Skipalska of Ukraine, who leads services for survivors of gender-based violence, underscored how these dynamics are intensified in conflict settings, where women leaders face both physical insecurity and coordinated online attacks, even as digital tools are used to sustain access to services and support.

Across institutional, civil society, and political perspectives, a consistent pattern emerged. From an institutional perspective, Electoral Councilor Norma Irene de la Cruz Magaña of Mexico emphasized the importance of legal clarity as a foundation for action. By explicitly defining political violence against women, including its digital forms, in law, Mexico has moved from ambiguity to accountability, enabling more consistent prevention, protection, and sanction. Without such definitions, enforcement remains limited in rapidly evolving digital environments.

Panel of people seated at a conference table with microphones and nameplates.

From a civil society perspective, Ruba Matarneh and Hiba Haddadeen from Jordan presented evidence generated through the UNDP eMonitor+ platform, showing that electoral violence disproportionately targets women candidates, with over 95% of documented cases affecting women, and is largely manifested online. This reinforces that digital violence is not marginal, but a systemic barrier requiring data-driven responses and sustained engagement between institutions and civil society.

The lived experience of women in political leadership, shared by Members of Parliament Najwa Koukouss and Aziza Boujrida of Morocco, highlighted both the cross-border nature of digital attacks and their personal consequences. Perpetrators often operate across jurisdictions, complicating access to justice, while sustained harassment affects not only individuals but also their families, shaping decisions about continued political engagement.

Across all perspectives, a consistent challenge emerged: while evidence on technology-facilitated violence against women is growing, it remains fragmented and difficult to compare. Differences in definitions, methodologies, and monitoring approaches limit the ability to aggregate data, identify trends, and inform coherent policy responses, constraining efforts at both national and global levels.

A defining feature of the event was that it was led by alumnae of the UNDP-UN Women’s Leadership Academy in the Digital Era. The session was conceptualized and delivered by the network itself, demonstrating how investment in women’s leadership translates into sustained, cross-regional collaboration and policy influence. Alumnae unable to attend in person contributed video messages including Ida Bakhturidze (Georgia), Oumaima Mhijir (Morocco), Tandin Wangmo (Bhutan), and Ibtihal Benharoual (Morocco), ensuring broader perspectives were integrated and reinforcing the global reach of the network.

The ability of these leaders to mobilize and shape a global discussion, despite constraints related to war and conflict, visa bans, and financial resource, demonstrates the value of sustained leadership ecosystems that extend beyond training, enabling women to convene, collaborate, and influence policy across sectors and regions. It also highlights how the UNDP–UN Women’s Leadership Academy is generating sustained leadership, cross-regional collaboration, and policy influence beyond training. The momentum generated through this exchange is already catalyzing follow-on initiatives within the alumni network, pointing to the potential for more structured, cross-regional approaches to address technology-facilitated violence against women in politics.

In closing, Michele, Director of the Electoral Assistance Division (DPPA-EAD), reinforced the discussion’s central insights, emphasizing the need to strengthen the comparability of data and evidence, and noting that the convergence of experiences across diverse contexts signals a systemic challenge requiring coordinated international responses. She also underscored the significance of the testimonies shared, noting that women leaders’ continued engagement in political life despite sustained online violence reflects both the severity of the challenge and the resilience required to sustain inclusive democratic participation.

The discussion points to a clear conclusion: technology-facilitated violence against women in politics is a structural challenge affecting democratic participation, representation, and trust. As highlighted by Najia Hashemee of UNDP, as political engagement accelerates in digital spaces and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, amplify both the scale and sophistication of these threats, existing legal, institutional, and regulatory responses are struggling to keep pace. Addressing this will require coordinated action across legal, institutional, technological, and societal domains, stronger alignment on definitions and data, and sustained investment in women’s leadership to ensure that digital transformation strengthens, rather than undermines, inclusive democratic governance.