In the past, women’s safety was defined by physical boundaries and areas, such as well-lit streets, safe environments, and people she could trust. These days, invisible dangers that accompany her into the most intimate areas of her life have destroyed this notion of security. A smartphone, once a means for independence and socialisation, has now become a dangerous weapon against her, fuelled by digital misogyny, by strangers she will never know, but can ruin her image, her reputation, her sense of safety and her sanity.
Across India, Young women stare at their phone screens, scared, shocked, and devastated as they discover intimate pictures of themselves that were never meant to exist, their faces seamlessly grafted onto explicit content by artificial intelligence. In schools and workplaces, they endure the weight of shame, knowing that hundreds have seen her fabricated pictures. So, they lose hope, delete social media, change phone numbers and disappear.
This is the reality of misogyny in modern & digital India, where technology amplifies age-old hatred into forms of violence aimed to silence their voices, and to remind them that even in the digital age, they are not truly free.
The Evolution of Digital Misogyny
Modern-day misogyny has evolved beyond the traditional forms of injustice and discrimination. Today, culprits use technology as a weapon to terrorise, harass and silence women through means that cause psychological and social harm. This Digital gender based hatred happens across various platforms and takes multiple forms.
The anonymous nature and the reach of these digital platforms have encouraged perpetrators and made it extremely difficult for victims to seek help. Unlike physical violence and abuse, digital abuse can follow and stay with the victim everywhere, invading their personal an well as professional spaces. An isolated instance of digital violence can have lasting consequences that reach far past the initial occurrence since online content has the potential to spread virally.
Deepfakes: The New Frontier of Digital Misogyny & Image-Based Abuse
The emergence of deepfake technology is arguably the most concerning development in digital Misogyny. These artificial intelligence (AI)-generated videos and pictures that realistically overlay a person’s face over pornographic or offensive material have grown to be an effective weapon for harassment and retaliation. Deepfake abuse primarily affects women in India; instances range from non-consensual intimate photos to fake videos intended to harm people’s reputations and professions.
Recent incidents in India have demonstrated how simple it is to get and abuse deepfake technology. Perpetrators employ these methods to stifle voices and uphold power systems that keep women marginalised, whether they are targeting female journalists and activists or fabricating private content of regular people.
One cannot overstate the negative psychological impact that deepfakes have on their victims. Victims frequently experience severe anxiety, sadness, and social disengagement. The consequences for her career might be catastrophic in traditional societies where a woman’s perceived moral character directly affects her employment opportunities and family relationships. The intricacy of the technology makes it more difficult for victims to prove that the information is false, which might result in a presumption that can ruin their lives.
Digital Harassment and Stalking
Cyber stalking is another common form of cybersexism. This includes continuous unsolicited contact via social media, email, and messaging platforms, which escalates to threats of physical assault. Offenders may create fake identities to track a victim’s activity. They may share sensitive information without consent. They sometimes organise coordinated harassment campaigns involving multiple people.
Cyberstalking affects victims’ offline lives deeply. It forces them to change their behaviour and routines. Many reduce their online presence or leave platforms entirely. This coerced exit can damage their social and professional lives. It fulfils the offender’s goal: to isolate and silence the victim.
Revenge Pornography and Its Impact
One of the most psychologically damaging forms of digital sexism is revenge pornography. It involves posting personal photos or videos without consent. Usually, ex-partners do this to humiliate, manipulate, or punish. In India, family honour and social reputation carry immense weight; hence, this abuse can be especially traumatic for women. It often leads to social ostracism and family rejection. In severe cases, it can even result in suicide.
The cultural background in India makes revenge pornography especially potent. Abusers realise that in a society that rigorously polices women’s sexual liberty, even the hint of personal content can have career-ending and relationship-destroying effects. This creates a perfect mix of technology and sexism, worsened by social norms that silence victims while protecting offenders.
Ways to Seek Help Against Digital Misogyny
Despite these hurdles, victims of digital misogyny have several options for seeking assistance and justice. Understanding these options and how to utilise them is critical for anybody experiencing online harassment or abuse.
Quick Safety Measures
Personal safety should be the victim’s top priority. This includes collecting screenshots, saving URLs, and keeping track of all offensive content. Victims should change their security settings on all social media profiles, consider temporarily deleting accounts if the harassment is extreme, and notify trustworthy friends and family members of the problem.
Reporting on Platform
Community norms on the majority of platforms forbid acts of abuse and harassment. Reporting procedures are available on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and other sites; however, response times and efficacy differ. Users should get familiar with each platform’s particular reporting methods and follow up consistently if the first complaints are ignored.
Legal Options
Victims may submit complaints to the nearest police station under applicable parts of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has a hotline (7827170170) that can provide help as well as coordinate police action. The Cyber Crime Complaint Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) allows you to file complaints online and watch their progress.
State-level women’s helplines and legal aid agencies offer extra assistance. Many cities have specific cybercrime units staffed by trained cops who are better equipped to deal with technology-facilitated abuse.
Support Groups
Several non-governmental groups provide specialist assistance to victims of digital gender-based abuse. These organisations provide legal aid, therapy, and advocacy support. They also aim to increase knowledge of digital rights and safety.
Professional Assistance
Victims of internet abuse require immediate mental health help. Therapists and counsellors who understand abuse through technology can assist victims in processing trauma and developing coping mechanisms. Some groups provide specific therapy services to survivors of internet abuse.
Every woman who speaks out against digital abuse contributes to reclaiming digital spaces for everyone, and every platform that removes harmful information plays a part in this effort. Every police officer who takes cybercrime complaints seriously helps drive change, and every friend who offers support instead of judgment strengthens the fight. The internet was founded on connection and knowledge-sharing,
It should not become a place where half of mankind lives in terror.
Young women entering India’s digital world today should not have to inherit a hostile and violent online space. Their voices should not be suppressed, and their creativity should not be turned into a weapon.
Their involvement in digital life is a right. It is not a luxury to be taken away by those who intend to harm them.
