/filters:format(webp)/english-betterindia/media/media_files/2025/12/23/whatsapp-image-priyanka-tri-2025-12-23-12-24-49.jpeg "Over 600 Grassroots Women in Ranchi Trained in AI Skills to Boost Livelihoods")
A joint investigation by Breakthrough and Equality Now has revealed an alarming rise in technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) against women and LGBTQI+ people in India. Survivors reported widespread experiences of image-based abuse, stalking, doxxing and coordinated online harassment, while legal protections lag behind.
According to the study, the persistent nature of online attacks, instantaneous, viral, and lasting makes them particularly damaging. Some victims described having to leave social platforms altogether for fear of exposure. The report highlighted that legal frameworks still treat most cases under broad cyber-laws rather than gender-specific protections, leaving many survivors without timely recourse.
One lawyer featured said: “The system is playing catch-up while the abuse moves ahead in real time.” Technology platforms were also criticised for slow removal of harmful content and lack of proactive safeguards tailored to women’s vulnerabilities.
The findings mark a critical moment in India’s digital landscape. As more women, and their rights organisations, call out the abuse that thrives online, the challenge becomes how to translate voice into enforceable justice and safety in the digital world.
