From online harm to hopeful responses in the Middle East and North Africa

Sanaria (not her real name) had a happy future ahead of her. The 25-year-old bride-to-be from the Kurdistan region of Iraq was engaged and looking forward to her wedding. Then — like so many women around the world — she came under attack online. Someone posted a series of fake photos of her on social media, which hurt her reputation and ended her engagement. For nearly a year, she suffered alone, in silence. 

Isolation, societal stigma and the absence of laws addressing online violence against women left Sanaria feeling hopeless and unable to seek help. 

There are many similar stories across the Middle East and North Africa. According to research supported by IDRC, 67% of respondents in the region have experienced digital violence, with 40% reporting severe impacts on their mental health. And the most recent study from this body of work reveals the gaps in the region’s legal systems that fail to protect survivors.  

A growing threat in shrinking civic spaces

Technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) — online abuse targeting women for who they are — is on the rise.

From deepfakes to doxxing, the digital realm has become a new frontier for gendered power structures — often mirroring offline patriarchal norms.

Restrictive legal frameworks, male guardianship norms and societal expectations further limit women’s participation in public life — both offline and online. In some cases, women and girls may not own their devices or are monitored by male guardians. When attacked online, they often face real-world consequences: shame, punishment, or worse.

For nearly a decade, IDRC has been investing in research and action across the Global South to understand the prevalence of, and to combat, TFGBV. To counter rising digital violence in the Middle East and North Africa, IDRC partnered with civil society organizations in Jordan and Iraq to support a regional research initiative led by the SecDev Foundation. 

This legal frameworks analysis shows that most countries in the region lack specific laws targeting online violence against women. Instead, they rely on generic cybercrime laws, penal codes or domestic violence legislation.

Weak institutional frameworks further hinder enforcement. Only the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has a designated body to address TFGBV. 

Meanwhile, civic spaces are shrinking. Vague legal provisions intended to tackle cybercrime or defamation are often used to silence activists, journalists and social media users — highlighting how these laws tend to protect state authorities more than citizens, especially women. This environment makes it increasingly difficult for survivors to speak out or access support.  

A networked response: From research to real-world impact

The regional research initiative brings together a diverse coalition and builds a cross-border, cross-sectoral community of practice. Members include the Baghdad Women Association, INSM Network for Digital Rights, the Jordanian Network to Combat Digital Violence Against Female Journalists, Karak Castle Center for Consultations and Training, and the King Hussein Foundation Information Research Center. 

The initiative builds on years of work to strengthen women’s digital resilience across seven countries. These efforts revealed major gaps in research needed to effectively combat TFGBV. 

In partnership with SecDev Foundation’s Salam@ team, IDRC supported research in the project’s host countries. In some cases, this led to the creation of the first national datasets on digital violence against women. 

Between 2022 and 2024, the SecDev Foundation conducted more than 20 studies on TFGBV in the region, most with IDRC support. One study examined online abuse targeting women candidates in Jordan’s 2024 parliamentary elections. It found that 28% of comments on their social media pages were abusive, with nearly 40,000 negative comments recorded during the election month. Supportive comments made up less than 4%.

This kind of abuse directly undermined campaigns and discouraged women’s political participation, highlighting the urgent need for stronger digital protections for women leaders.

Beyond research, the coalition has driven real change. Findings from elections monitoring in Jordan revealed a troubling trend: gendered online attacks were used to pressure women to withdraw from the race.

These experiences show the serious challenges women face in politics, where harassment often targets not just their professional roles but also their personal and family lives.

The research made it clear that female candidates need more support to participate equitably and safely in political life. In response, Jordanian partners mobilized female lawyers, journalists and politicians to form advocacy groups. Workshops with members of Jordan’s House of Representatives helped raise awareness of TFGBV and encouraged the integration of digital safety into election monitoring.  

Building an ecosystems approach

Research on TFGBV in the region further highlights the need for a comprehensive response that addresses all the factors enabling this form of violence — not just legal and institutional gaps, but also social, cultural and technological ones.

For example, the lack of coordination between countries, digital platforms and civil society groups makes it harder to tackle cross-border cybercrimes. Social isolation and stigma also lead to chronic underreporting, which weakens the enforcement of existing laws that could help address TFGBV.

To respond to these challenges, SecDev Foundation is piloting an ecosystems approach in Jordan and Iraq, working with local organizations that can identify and respond to culturally specific threats. Early results are promising. 

In Iraq, an investigation by INSM uncovered alarming patterns of online abuse targeting Yazidi women and girls. Using survivor-led reporting and digital ethnography, they exposed a coordinated network of abuse, including stolen images, fake profiles, manipulated audio and extortion. Armed with this evidence, INSM co-created “Safe Together,” a digital safety campaign that mobilized students, parents and educators. In under 60 days, the campaign trained over 1,500 people and helped shut down more than 175 harmful accounts on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

One account, run by a blackmailer with 65,000 followers, was removed after he was caught bragging about extorting girls. The campaign also sparked grassroots innovation: Maher Murad Shammu, a Yazidi network engineering student, launched a Kurmancî-language Instagram page on digital safety. Alongside influencer Sabah Atte, Maher has become a vital link between marginalized communities and online safety resources. Thanks to support from INSM’s help desk, they’ve successfully reported and removed harmful content and connected victims to support services.

Perhaps the most powerful sign of success is in the stories of the women directly impacted. After a year without help, Sanaria connected with the Baghdad Women Association and INSM Network.  

Within 24 hours, the harmful images were taken down and she began receiving emotional and legal support. “Today,” she said, “I finally feel like I have a reason to believe in myself again.”

These are not isolated cases. They reflect the power of informed, collective action that meets survivors where they are: online, in their communities and within the legal system. The initiative’s ecosystems approach, piloted in Jordan and Iraq, uses research to guide laws and enforcement as well as health and education interventions. Locally based coordinators help shape strategies, activities and networks of care.

A path forward

Online abusers aim to isolate and silence women. Their attacks are meant to break connections, create fear and spread shame. This initiative takes the opposite approach, bringing together organizations, research, grassroots activism and legal advocacy to build strong networks of support. 

Instead of leaving survivors to face digital abuse alone, this coalition links each study, campaign and intervention into a broader safety net — showing that solidarity is one of the most powerful tools against TFGBV.  

As online threats continue to change, the region’s responses must evolve too. This project demonstrates that when researchers, civil society actors and survivors work together, they can shift not only public narratives but also real-world outcomes.