How Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence Impacts Women Human Rights Defenders in the Philippines

New Report Highlights Risks of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence Against WHRDsWomen human rights defenders (WHRDs) in the Philippines face increasing risks of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), with online attacks often extending into real-world threats and harm.

The new report, “Strengthening Protection of Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) through the Development of a Toolkit on Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV),” examines the lived experiences of Filipino WHRDs as they navigate digital spaces in the course of their human rights work.

The project is part of the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) project of the Embassy of Canada to the Philippines.Based on qualitative research involving WHRDs, victim-survivors, service providers, civil society organizations, government agencies, law enforcement representatives, and other stakeholders, the report documents the gendered and systemic nature of TFGBV and its impact on individuals, organizations, and civic space.

Key Findings

The report highlights that TFGBV against WHRDs takes many forms, including online harassment, rape and death threats, cyberstalking, doxxing, hacking, impersonation, surveillance, image-based abuse, AI-generated deepfakes, gendered disinformation, cyber libel, and red-tagging.

These forms of violence often overlap. Online harassment can occur alongside surveillance, privacy violations, disinformation, legal intimidation, and offline threats, creating a continuum of harm that can affect WHRDs, their families, organizations, and communities.

The research also shows that intersectional identities can compound vulnerability. Indigenous women, women with disabilities, Muslim women, LGBTQIA+ defenders, grassroots organizers, and women from economically marginalized communities may face additional barriers to protection, justice, psychosocial support, and digital resources.

The report further identifies persistent gaps in legal protection, institutional capacity, digital security resources, survivor-centered services, and accountability. Limited investigative capacity, fragmented responses, and challenges in identifying perpetrators can contribute to a culture of impunity.

From Research to Action

The findings will contribute to the development of a Toolkit on Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence for Women Human Rights Defenders, which will consolidate available resources, reporting mechanisms, and multi-response strategies.

The toolkit aims to support WHRDs, their organizations, and communities in proactively preventing and responding to TFGBV, particularly when online attacks escalate into real-world danger.

The report calls for stronger survivor-centered support, digital security and prevention efforts, legal and institutional accountability, and responses that address the structural inequalities that enable gender-based violence in digital spaces.

Addressing TFGBV requires coordinated, feminist, intersectional, and survivor-centered action. Protecting WHRDs means ensuring that digital and physical spaces remain safe and enabling environments for those working to advance human rights and social justice.