80TH UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY – UN SUMMIT ON “HEFORSHE” – GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE ONLINE, UN WOMEN ITALY: “MILLIONS OF VICTIMS WORLDWIDE. MEN SHOULD BE WOMEN’S ALLIES”
Representing our country are President Darya Majidi and Gino Cecchettin, Italian advocate for “HeforShe,” the global movement that aims to promote gender equality through the direct involvement of men and boys. Appeal to governments and big tech for stricter regulations
Millions of women and girls around the world experience some form of online violence every year: primarily defamation and misinformation (2 out of 3), but also sexual abuse, hate speech, impersonation, stalking, doxing (dissemination of personal information), threats, and abuse through images and videos. And the advent of generative artificial intelligence has only amplified the phenomenon. It is now clear that digital gender-based violence has reached alarming proportions.
And Italy is no exception, as evidenced by recent reports that have brought to light social media pages and websites promoting sexism. Joint action by civil society, institutions, and technology companies is therefore necessary.
It is no coincidence that this year’s HeforShe summit – promoted by UN Women as part of the 80th United Nations General Assembly – has put the spotlight on digital gender-based violence. This issue will also be the focus of UN Women’s UNiTE campaign, which will kick off on November 25 – International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
UN Women Italy is the national committee that supports the mission of UN Women in Italy, the United Nations agency dedicated to promoting women’s rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment. Founded in June 2024, it is part of a global network of 13 national committees, non-governmental organizations that are non-profit, independent, secular, and non-partisan. UN Women Italy promotes women’s rights, raises funds from the private sector, and gives global visibility to the issues facing women and girls. At the heart of its work is the promotion of profound cultural change, an essential condition for overcoming inequalities and building a more equitable and sustainable society. It operates through strategic partnerships with institutions, governments, businesses, and associations. Its areas of intervention include: gender equality, human rights, economic and youth empowerment, combating violence against women, female leadership, and participation in social and cultural debate, considering technology as an enabling factor that offers new possibilities, freedoms, and opportunities for independence.
More than forty heads of state and government, ministers, and civil society organizations were present. Representing Italy were the president of UN Women Italy, Darya Majidi, and Gino Cecchettin, one of the Italian advocates of HeforShe, the global movement launched by the United Nations in 2014 to promote gender equality through the direct involvement of men and boys, which arrived in Italy last May.
A chapter of the 2025 impact report presented during the summit is dedicated to the recent launch of “HeforShe” in our country, documenting the progress made by the movement globally.
“MANOSPHERE” AND MISOGYNY – Of particular concern is the now widespread presence of the so-called “manosphere,” a heterogeneous network of online movements and communities that spread and amplify misogyny, misinformation, and gender-based violence. What unites them is their opposition to feminism and the belief that men are alleged “victims” of a social and political context that unfairly favors women. Of particular concern is the negative influence that such platforms can have on adolescents and young men with regard to issues such as gender roles, emotional relationships, and masculinity. As proof of the pervasiveness of the phenomenon, a recent study conducted for HeforShe shows how much sexist rhetoric on social media worries Millennials (76%) and Generation Z (80%).
A chapter of the 2025 impact report presented during the summit is dedicated to the recent launch of “HeforShe” in our country, documenting the progress made by the movement globally.
“MANOSPHERE” AND MISOGYNY – Of particular concern is the now widespread presence of the so-called “manosphere,” a heterogeneous network of online movements and communities that spread and amplify misogyny, misinformation, and gender-based violence. What unites them is their opposition to feminism and the belief that men are alleged “victims” of a social and political context that unfairly favors women. Of particular concern is the negative influence that such platforms can have on adolescents and young men with regard to issues such as gender roles, emotional relationships, and masculinity. As proof of the pervasiveness of the phenomenon, a recent study conducted for HeforShe shows how much sexist rhetoric on social media worries Millennials (76%) and Generation Z (80%).
And the public exposure of women only exacerbates the phenomenon. As UN Women’s latest Gender Snapshot Report shows, more than two out of three female journalists worldwide have experienced online violence.
HEFORSHE: THE ROLE OF MEN – It is therefore essential that men be allies of women against violence that takes place online and that can easily cross the boundaries of the internet and spill over into homes, schools, and workplaces. After all, the HeforShe movement began more than ten years ago precisely from the belief that men must be part of the solution.
“We men have a clear responsibility in this change. We cannot just stand by and watch: we must recognize and combat misogyny, hatred, and toxic models of masculinity circulating on the web,” commented Gino Cecchettin, president of the Giulia Foundation, created in memory of his young daughter who was a victim of femicide, on the sidelines of the summit.
For Cecchettin, recognition by the United Nations is an important milestone that allows him to make his voice heard beyond national borders: “Being an advocate for ‘HeForShe’ is a clear responsibility for me. It means transforming a personal experience of pain into a concrete commitment to change, putting my voice at the service of this message: equality is not just about women, but about everyone. My job is to show that men can and must play an active role, choosing every day to promote respect, fairness, and relationships free from violence.”
THE APPEAL TO GOVERNMENTS AND BIG TECH – Alongside the commitment of civil society – and men in particular – joint action by institutions and technology companies is needed to stem the scourge of gender-based violence on the internet. For this reason, UN Women Italy is renewing the appeal to governments and big tech launched last March by the HeforShe Alliance. This call to action asks digital platforms, among other things, to implement strict policies against abuse and gender-based violence. Governments, for their part, must put in place stricter regulations to combat hate speech online and give greater powers to supervisory authorities over platforms that host misogynistic content. At the same time, institutions need to work together to introduce digital literacy programs in schools that focus on education and prevention against the spread of misogyny and toxic masculinity.
“It is urgent that all actors involved join forces against online gender-based violence. On the one hand, institutions, with educational policies focused on prevention and stricter laws to combat abuse. On the other hand, large technology companies must prevent their platforms from becoming free zones where violence and misogyny thrive with impunity. The role of men is essential. ‘HeforShe’ means just that: to build a more equal and just world, women need men by their side,” reiterated Darya Majidi at the United Nations, adding: “We are honored by the recognition from the UN and at the same time feel the weight of the responsibility that comes with it
CONTACTS UN WOMEN ITALY PRESS OFFICE
communication@unwomenitaly.org
Federica Giovannetti
federica.giovannetti@unwomenitaly.org
