Nasim Ahmadi

Kermashan — Today, digital spaces are inseparable from individual and social life for everyone. While they open new opportunities for women to communicate, learn, and participate in society, they also expose them to increasing threats. Nearly every woman experiences some form of online violence or threat at least once, with wide-ranging and complex implications.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women serves as an annual reminder to rethink ways to confront discrimination and violence against women. This year’s events focused specifically on digital violence against women, signaling a new phase in the struggle against inequality, one that extends beyond streets and homes to include virtual spaces and social networks.

 

Lack of monitoring mechanisms makes digital violence more dangerous

Women are increasingly vulnerable to new forms of violence emerging in digital and technological spaces. These practices include verbal abuse and online threats, humiliating messages, gender-based incitement, and the unauthorized sharing of personal photos and information—all forms of violence imposed on women in the modern digital world.

Such violence aims to marginalize women or restrict their presence in virtual spaces, reflecting the same mentalities that seek to sideline women in real life. Although there are no comprehensive statistics or extensive scientific studies on digital violence against women in Iran, media reports indicate that over 70% of Iranian women have faced or been subjected to some form of online abuse.

Globally, UN Women reports that around 73% of female users of virtual spaces have experienced such violations, highlighting the phenomenon’s widespread and serious nature.

Soudabeh R., a psychologist and activist in Kermashan, explained:
“Violence against women in real life occurs in a space where behavior can be tracked and perpetrators can be held accountable. Yet many men commit this violence without hesitation. Iran ranks high globally in rates of violence against women. When this reality moves online, where monitoring and accountability are absent, the situation becomes undeniably more dangerous.”

This analysis shows that violence against women is no longer limited to social or familial settings; it takes on new, complex forms in digital spaces. The lack of oversight and the difficulty of legal recourse embolden perpetrators, manifesting in threats, insults on social media, and the sharing of private information without consent. These practices have deep psychological and social effects on women. Compared to offline life, women are more vulnerable online and less able to defend themselves.

 

The virtual world is a double-edged sword

Neda K., who received threats from her ex-husband via social media, recounted:
“He had many of my personal photos. One day, a private Instagram account followed me. I initially rejected it, but he sent a message asking me to see the photos on his page. Out of curiosity, I followed, and found that he had hidden my face but deliberately exposed my body in stories, viewed by hundreds of men. He then threatened that if I claimed my marriage dowry, he would publish all my photos with my face, along with my address and phone number.”

Her experience is not isolated. Many women face digital violence from strangers, including direct threats, sharing private images without consent, verbal abuse, and humiliating messages.

While virtual spaces offer communication and expression, they often become arenas for exploitation and psychological pressure on women, where personal safety boundaries are easily violated, leaving victims with fear, helplessness, and profound psychological and social consequences.

 

Harassment disguised in virtual interactions

Mitra D., also from Kermashan, shared her experience with online harassment, noting that much of it comes in the form of invitations to “sexual chats.” She said:
“Some start by complimenting me or themselves, while others jump directly to the point, sending their private photos and asking, ‘Do you like this?’”

This testimony shows that online violence can occur in everyday digital interactions, directly threatening women’s psychological and social safety. Unwanted messages and explicit images are not only clear privacy violations but also generate anxiety and helplessness in victims.

The anonymity of perpetrators and the vastness of digital spaces exacerbate the danger, making prevention and response difficult. Many women remain silent due to social stigma or lack of legal support, perpetuating and worsening digital violence.

 

Blackmail and privacy violations under the guise of “reputation”

Digital violence is not limited to harassment from acquaintances or sexual solicitations by strangers. In some cases, abusers exploit the concept of “reputation” to coerce women, turning threats to reveal personal information or share private images into a tool for control and illegal demands.

Nastaran A. recounted:
“A stranger contacted me on Telegram, sending a link claiming it contained my private photos. Out of fear and anxiety, I opened it, allowing him access to my phone’s content. He then threatened to publish my photos if I didn’t comply with his demands. Fearing for my reputation, I had to transfer money to him and avoid all social media platforms.”

This incident illustrates how digital violence exploits women’s fear of reputation loss, turning virtual spaces into arenas for blackmail and psychological pressure, violating privacy and leaving victims feeling powerless.

 

Digital violence amplifies fear and psychological helplessness

These experiences reveal that patriarchal control extends beyond social relationships and tangible realities into digital spaces, using new methods to assert authority. Just as women face cultural and social restrictions offline, they encounter modern forms of control and abuse online.

Behind these practices lies an authoritarian and outdated patriarchal mentality, changed only in the tools used. In the digital age, the patriarchal system has found new means to impose violence, using technology to restrict women’s presence and silence their voices in virtual spaces.

This digital violence is an extension of traditional dominance patterns, but online, its impact is stronger and more widespread due to the anonymity of perpetrators and the vast reach of networks, multiplying its effects and dangers for women