Policy solutions: What governments, funders and tech companies must do
To weaken the influence of extremists in the manosphere, we must stop normalizing violence against women and push back against harmful definitions of masculinity.
That requires strengthening laws just as much as it requires shifting attitudes.
UN Women’s role in bringing diverse voices to this and broader gender-equality conversations is critical. From these powerful alliances,
we know that stopping online violence requires action at the highest levels. Policymakers, funders and tech companies must:
- Strengthen existing policies on violence against women and girls to prohibit digital violence and strengthen capacities to investigate and prosecute crimes effectively
- Hold the technology industry accountable for the spread of harmful content that normalizes violence – and for proactively detecting and removing it
- Promote greater transparency across digital platforms, including the effects of algorithms, and strengthen content moderation and codes of conduct
- Build cooperation between state regulators and industry on laws for safer digital spaces
- Empower survivors of digital abuse by including their input in developing new policies and include women’s safety experts in the testing of new technologies, including AI products
- Close data gaps on the manosphere’s influence and the entry points for extremist ideologies
- Invest in digital citizenship to equip young people with the tools to recognize and reject online hate
- Form partnerships with civil society organizations and influencers to counter extremist content, promote inclusive gender norms, and model positive masculinities
- Invest in programmes, including mental health initiatives for men and boys, groups promoting positive masculinities, and evidence-based interventions to prevent radicalization