Every year, from 25 November to 10 December, the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence unites voices from across the world in calling for an end to violence against women and girls. As our lives move increasingly online, so too has the harassment, coercion, and control that many women and girls experience. What once occurred behind closed doors can now follow victims into every corner of their digital lives, leaving little space for recovery or safety.
Online violence takes many forms: cyberstalking, threats, image-based abuse, doxxing, and misogynistic trolling. It causes psychological distress, damages reputations, and can escalate into physical harm. For some women, online abuse intersects with intimate partner violence, extending control and intimidation into digital spaces.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (March 2025) shows that more than half of the recorded rise in sexual offences in England involved threats to share intimate images or the sending of indecent content. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that almost 60% of women globally have experienced online abuse, with one in six women in the UK reporting online violence. Many respond by withdrawing from online platforms altogether — silenced and isolated.
Midwives are not immune. Many experience professional trolling, misogynistic abuse, and cyberbullying, particularly when advocating for women’s rights and wellbeing. As trusted professionals, midwives are in a unique position to recognise the signs that a woman may be experiencing online abuse and to respond with empathy, safety, and appropriate support.
With the growing use of digital tools in maternity care, it is vital that robust workplace policies protect both midwives and the women in their care. Employers should ensure digital literacy training, clear reporting and support systems, and a workplace culture that refuses to tolerate online harassment in any form.
A recent survey found that 68% of women in England believe current laws are ineffective in tackling online violence. We need stronger legislation, greater awareness, and accountability from online platforms that fail to prevent abuse.
During these 16 Days of Activism, let us stand together — midwives and women side by side — to call out online abuse for what it is: violence. Together, we can make every space safe, respectful, and free from harm, including the digital space.
