The rapid advancement of information technology has uncovered the widespread and growing threat of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), particularly against women, girls, LGBTQIA+ persons, and ethnic minorities. Global estimates show that 1 in 3 women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, with TFGBV becoming an increasingly prevalent form. This violence not only causes long-term psychological, physical, and economic harm but also often escalates into offline abuse, threatening the safety and bodily integrity of those affected. Low levels of digital literacy, coupled with the rapid advancement in technology, have created new avenues for abuse. Yet, the responses from government and civil society actors remain inadequate, widening the gap in both prevention and survivor support. This study offers critical insight into the scale, context-specific nature, and evolving patterns of TFGBV shedding light on its forms, underlying motivations, and emergent trends.

This study, commissioned in 2024 by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) in Sri Lanka, explores the phenomenon of TFGBV, which disproportionately affects women, girls, LGBTQIA+ persons, and ethnic minorities. TFGBV as defined by UNFPA, refers to “an act of violence perpetrated by one or more individuals that is committed, assisted, aggravated and amplified in part or fully by the use of information and communication technologies or digital media, against a person on the basis of their gender.” This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the nature, prevalence, impact, and prevention of TFGBV, with a particular emphasis on the spread of gendered hate content online. Its findings and recommendations aim to inform future research and policy interventions at the intersection of gender, hate content, and digital violence, while addressing the specific vulnerabilities of gender, sexual and ethnic minorities.