Help End Gender-Based Digital Harm

Hate, abuse, and harassment have become normalized in our digital world. Women, girls, and gender-diverse people are being targeted in specific ways and experiencing unique impacts.

Digital harm is a specific form of gender-based violence targeting women and gender-diverse people across Canada. Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, youth (18-25), and people with disabilities are targeted most frequently.

We can’t let digital harm limit the safety, mental health, and ability of women and gender-diverse people to engage online.

Here’s how to help make digital spaces safer:

Image shows profile of a woman with the words "Reclaim Your Digital Space: Help End Gender-Based Harm"

1. Take the Reclaim Your Digital Space e-learning course

A free e-learning course designed for people facing digital harm, organizations, and all people who want to:

  • Learn about online hate, harassment and abuse: what are the facts, how do you recognize digital harm, what can you do about it?
  • Build knowledge and skills to engage safely in digital spaces
  • Get inspired to take action and help end gender-based digital harm
  • Get loads of practical resources to keep learning and creating change
Cover image of the Challenging Gendered Digital Harm Report produced by Canadian Women's Foundation

“[Feeling safe] would mean completely being able to be yourself, to post about your feelings, to talk about political views without people threatening you.

Basically, just being able to speak as if you were in a coffee shop with a friend and not have to feel that you were in danger because of what you’ve posted.”

– Woman with a visible disability, Challenging Gendered Digital Harm Research Report

2. Read Our Report: Challenging Gendered Digital Harm

This research is the first of its kind to:

  • Present nationally representative, disaggregated data on how people in Canada experience gendered digital harm.
  • Collect data on and examine the experiences of women and gender-diverse people who are Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, youth (aged 18-25), or who have a disability.
  • Disaggregate the experiences of people with visible and invisible disabilities.

This research reveals that digital harm is pervasive. There is an urgent need for an intersectional, human rights and survivor-centered approach, and collaboration across sectors to make digital spaces safer for everyone.

Help End Gender-Based Digital Harm

Ultimately, we are calling for increased gendered digital safety in Canada, and a safer digital public sphere for all.

These resources were produced as part of the Challenging Gendered Digital Harm project, which addresses digital hate, harassment and abuse against diverse women, girls, and gender-diverse people in Canada through national research, an online curriculum and tools; and convening civil society and decision makers to mobilize for systems change.

The Canadian Women’s Foundation would like to thank the Department of Canadian Heritage for funding this project.

Data Snapshot

61%
of women and gender-diverse people in Canada have faced gendered digital harm, compared to 53% of the general population. Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, youth (18-25), and people with disabilities are the most frequent targets, and they all report being targeted because of their unique identities.

55%
of perpetrators are men, and in 23% of cases, the survivor doesn’t know the perpetrator’s gender.

43%
of survivors suffer serious mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

Over 50%
of women and gender-diverse people reduce their online presence or self-censor to avoid harm.

88%
of gender equality organizations face digital threats

48%
of women and gender-diverse people experience digital harm on social media, but reporting it often leads to no action.

60%
of racialized women and gender-diverse people believe law enforcement is ineffective, and 71% feel social media should have stronger protections as public spaces.

Learn more

Podcast Series: Learn about gendered digital hate and harassment from leading experts and content creators

The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence