Women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are facing increased harassment and abuse online as they continue to fight sexual harassment in the streets and domestic violence heightened by the stress of the coronavirus pandemic. "The other side of the coin is that we are more exposed to violence online. Social media, in particular Facebook and Twitter in the Gulf, are the main platforms used by youth and women in the region." Women activists and journalists in the MENA have often felt the brunt of online abuse in particular, with their work discredited through campaigns spreading false information online. One in four of those attacked online also closed their social media accounts and 42.9 percent said they actively engage in self-censorship.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 13, 2020 14:15 UTC