Digital Violence Against Women in MENA Conflict Zones
A growing body of research shows how digital violence is used to shame, silence, and endanger women in the MENA region’s most volatile places.
A new synthesis paper by Rana Akabani sheds light on an under-recognized crisis: digital violence against women (DVAW) in conflict zones across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Drawing on 15 studies we supported, she shows how digital abuse is used to control women—especially those who speak out. It’s the latest result of our partnership with Canada’s International Development Research Centre to unpack DVAW across the region.
The research focuses on six conflict-affected settings: Iraq, Libya, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. In each, online harm isn’t just a byproduct of digital life: it’s an extension of real-world violence and systemic discrimination. Armed conflict, patriarchal control, and extremism create conditions where women are harassed, blackmailed, and attacked for simply existing online.
Weaponizing the web
In Libya, social media became a parallel battlefield during the 2019 war on Tripoli, where both sides used claims about sexual violence to shame their enemies. Sudanese women, including athletes and journalists, faced smear campaigns urging public punishment for defying gender norms. In Iraq, men have used government-backed reporting platforms to target women content creators under the guise of protecting “public morals.”
Northern Syria’s “widow camps” reveal another layer of vulnerability. Scammers and extortionists prey on women and girls there, luring them into sharing private information in the hope of receiving aid. Fears of losing custody of their children if they remarry—and stigma that can surround widowed or divorced women—also push many into silence.
Colonial power and platform control
In Palestine, digital violence against women is shaped by a dual system of oppression: colonial occupation from without and patriarchal power from within. These intersecting forces restrict women’s voices both offline and online, amplified by tech platforms that often reinforce these imbalances.
Social media platforms suppress Palestinian content, especially during crises, while often ignoring harassment and hate speech targeting women. Many say their abuse complaints go unanswered, fueling a climate of digital impunity. For Palestinian women, the internet is not a free space—it’s another domain of surveillance, silencing, and structural control.
From online to offline harm
The author underscores that digital violence doesn’t stay online. In Syria, nearly half of surveyed women said they experienced real-world consequences from online abuse. In Sudan, Iraq, and Libya, women described continuing threats, job loss, or forced relocation.
The psychological toll can be immense. One Iraqi journalist writing about women’s rights fled to Turkey with her daughter after receiving death threats. She panicked when Turkey announced it would allow Iraqis over 60 to enter without a visa—fearing conservative family members would pursue her. “No one will protect me here, and that terrifies me,” she said.
Across the region, women report that digital abuse spills into real-world harm—from job loss to forced displacement to chronic psychological trauma. While tools and actors differ, the outcome is consistent: the digital sphere is a new front in the war on women’s agency.
A call to action
The study calls for coordinated responses across legal, social, and digital spheres. Recommendations include strengthening legislation to address DVAW, expanding digital literacy training for women, ensuring psychosocial support services for survivors, and holding tech companies accountable for platform abuse. And civil society organizations are key actors—offering both frontline support and pressure for long-term reform.
“This silent war against women in the region must not go unnoticed or unaddressed,” Akabani writes. The message is clear: DVAW is not a side issue. It is a frontline battle for rights, dignity, and peace in some of the world’s most fragile societies.
Groundbreaking DVAW research
Akabani’s paper synthesizes findings from 15 earlier Foundation-supported studies. Those include eight of The SecDev Foundation’s 20+ DVAW country studies published since 2022, most with IDRC support. An additional seven in-depth reports were collaborations led by Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ).
This broader effort is filling glaring gaps in evidence on DVAW across the MENA region. Driven by an inspired group of all-female Arab researchers, these studies unpack its psychosocial and legal dimensions in most MENA countries. And the goal has been not just to document harm, but also to elevate survivor voices and provide roadmaps for action.
Akabani starts to weave together findings from multiple countries, revealing common tactics, risk factors, and patterns of digital repression. Her synthesis makes one thing clear: digital violence in conflict zones is systematic—and inseparable from struggles for women’s safety, dignity, and rights.
Rana Akabani is a trainer, media consultant, editor and researcher. She currently is co-director of North Africa Media Academy (NAMA), an independent non-profit organization that supports media research and journalists’ development.
Some of the studies behind this synthesis paper.
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