Digital violence is real violence: One activist's fight for safety and human rights

Fuentes' experience is not uncommon. Digital abuse is a disturbing global reality. Between 16-58 per cent of women have experienced technology-facilitated gender-based violence (or, digital violence). In one global study, the Economist Intelligence Unit found that 38 per cent of women have personally experienced online abuse, while 85 per cent have witnessed it happening to other women. 

During COVID-19, as life moved online, digital abuse and online harassment exploded. 

“Patriarchy understood how to change in order to reach people inside homes”, Fuentes explains. “Online, everyone becomes braver. People were able to hide behind the screen and a fake user id.”

Digital violence isn't just words on a screen – it's real violence with real consequences.

For Fuentes, online harassment meant constantly scrutinizing every post, every opinion, every friendship she shared on social media.

“The constant scrutiny takes away your peace”, she says. “You always have to be 120 per cent prepared to make an opinion online. If you are a feminist, if you are an activist, you don't have the right to be wrong. You are not allowed to even have a past.”

Young women and girls face heightened risk – 58 per cent have experienced some form of online harassment, according to one global study. Women in public life face even higher rates: In its last report (2020) UNESCO found that 73 per cent of women journalists experienced online violence in their work.

The consequences extend far beyond the digital realm. Women and girls abandon education, restrict their online presence, suffer mental health crises, and lose confidence to speak up. Some face physical violence, even femicide, when digital abuse escalates offline.

Despite the scale of the crisis, less than half of countries have laws that prosecute online abuse. 

“They don't have laws that say anything about this problem”, Fuentes notes. “If you go to a public defender, they are going to say to you, you have to wait five years for this to be solved. Are you sure you want to start it?”

The normalization of the justice gaps keeps survivors from reporting the abuse or seeking justice. Tech companies, meanwhile, have been slow to take responsibility for violence perpetrated on their platforms. 

Fuentes' organization now works with 600 people annually on early violence prevention and helps universities build safety protocols. They provide legal support to survivors and mobilize 1,000 people each year in advocacy campaigns. 

This is precisely the kind of grassroots work by feminists and women’s organizations that need support. Fuentes is part of a Civil Society Steering Committee of the ACT Programme – a game-changing commitment between the European Commission and UN Women – making sure that the Programme responds to the on-the-ground reality and priorities of women and girls.

Although it has been proven that a strong, independent feminist movement is the most critical factor driving policy changes to stop violence against women, recent and unprecedented funding cuts on women’s rights organizations have resulted in significant reductions in services and support: In a global UN Women survey under the ACT Programme between June-July 2025, more than 34 per cent of respondents reported that funding cuts have led to programme suspension and a staggering ​​89 per cent reported high or severe reductions in access to support services for survivors in their communities. 

The ACT Programme is already working with more than 500 women’s rights organizations to expand their capacities, coalitions and networks. Supporting young leaders like Fuentes and amplifying their voices is a key goal of the programme.

Fuentes has tips for governments, universities, tech companies, and women and girls reading her story.

• For governments and universities: Develop comprehensive laws and protocols for addressing digital violence. Create accountability mechanisms even when abuse doesn't occur on physical campuses. 
• For tech companies: Invest in safeguards and hire gender activists to create safer online spaces. Take ownership of the violence happening on your platforms.
• For educators: Learn to recognize and interrupt patterns of digital violence in educational settings.

If you're facing digital violence, Fuentes says:

• Power off your phone and take a moment. "When you stop, you get the space you need to understand what you need to do", Fuentes advises. Digital violence is a spiral that traps you if you keep engaging with abusive content. 
• Speak up to trusted people. You're not alone, and you're not to blame. "You can decide whatever you want to do with your body, your photos, your personal information. That doesn't mean you're giving permission for violence." 
• Be mindful of what you consume. Know who you're following and what content you're engaging with. "It's important to know what and from who we are consuming content."

Fuentes persevered through her ordeal and eventually became the legal representative in a case against the teacher who first told her women couldn't be lawyers. Today, she continues fighting – not just for herself, but for the next generation.

“I will endure everything again,” she says, tears in her eyes, “just to know that someone is not going to go through what I went through.”

For more tips on how to spot signs of abuse and get help, read our Online Safety 101.