Technology is at the heart of modern society and has generally transformed many aspects of our lives. The impact that technology has had on communication and commerce is undeniable. However, this two-edged tool has also helped create new vulnerabilities, especially for women and girls. While technology opens channels for empowerment and connectivity, it can also be a fertile ground for gender-based violence. Technology can most disturbingly contribute to gender inequality by way of what is termed the digital divide. Most women and girls living in marginalized areas, at some point, are barred from accessing and acquiring proper digital literacy about technology. This bars them from most online harassment, threats, and physical harm. For instance, a perpetrator can use social media to imprint sexual images without consent or stalk and harass their victims.

Harassment and bullying online are also some of the issues that affect women and girls the most. Online game platforms, messaging services, and also social media have been associated with hate speech and abuse breeding. The behavior in these would range from verbal abuse, and threats, to other forms of harassment such as doxxing, which involves making public private information about a person, or deepfakes, manipulations of images or videos.

Sextortion, which is a form of blackmail that includes the threat of distributing private photos or videos, is another significant threat. The........

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