Women journalists are among the most exposed targets of online violence. RFLD’s report Online violence against women in West and Central Africa 2026 brings together global surveys and regional evidence on the abuse they face, and on how it moves from screens to streets.
The global picture
The most cited study is The Chilling, by UNESCO and the International Center for Journalists. In its 2020 survey, 73% of the 714 women journalists who responded had experienced online violence. A quarter had received threats of physical violence, and 20% had suffered offline attacks linked to online abuse.
That figure for offline harm has since doubled. UN Women’s Tipping point survey of 2025 found that among women journalists, offline harm linked to online abuse had risen from 20% in 2020 to 42%. UNESCO reported online violence among 75% of the 354 journalists who responded to that survey.
A UNESCO follow-up report in May 2026 found that 45% of women journalists surveyed self-censor on social media. Only 22% had reported abuse to the police.
These are global figures. The report notes clearly that no regional breakdown for Africa was found in these surveys.
Evidence from Africa
The Coalition For Women in Journalism recorded 258 press freedom violations against women journalists in Africa between 2019 and 2024, out of 3,255 worldwide. Physical assaults made up 30% and detentions 17%. A quarter occurred during protests. Nigeria accounted for 12% of the African violations, including online harassment and threats.
This is an incident log, not a prevalence survey. It does not count online harassment separately, so it likely understates the online dimension.
Cases from the region
The report documents several patterns without exposing individuals:
- In Burkina Faso, Reporters Without Borders documented in July 2026 an online militia linked to the authorities that harasses journalists through disinformation. After a 2026 documentary, a foreign woman reporter received hundreds of hostile messages and doctored images, along with false reports of her dismissal.
- In Côte d’Ivoire, a podcast and a university panel in 2023 gathered testimony from women political journalists on hateful comments and threats of sexual violence.
- In the DRC, the women’s media organisation Ucofem held a workshop in September 2026 for women journalists on preventing digital violence and staying safe online.
- In Nigeria, monitoring shows coordinated gendered disinformation against prominent women in public life, with attacks focused on appearance and marital status.
When laws are turned against journalists
The report also looks at how cybercrime laws can increase risks for women journalists. Broad offences such as defamation or “false news” can be used against them, and against women human rights defenders. Niger reinstated prison terms for defamation and public-order offences in 2024.
The African Commission’s Resolution 522 responds to this. It calls on states to provide security training and media literacy for women journalists. It also asks them to repeal overly broad surveillance laws that increase women journalists’ vulnerability. The 2019 Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression adds, in Principle 20(3), that states shall take specific measures to ensure the safety of female journalists.
What newsrooms and partners can do
The report’s recommendations to civil society and the media include adopting newsroom and organisational policies on online harassment, with clear support for staff who are targeted. Participants in the Ucofem workshop in the DRC called for zero-tolerance policies in newsrooms and for alert and protection mechanisms.
Technology companies are asked to create priority reporting channels for women journalists, especially during elections. Funders are asked to support helplines and legal support. The Access Now Digital Security Helpline already offers free support around the clock in ten languages, including French and English, to journalists and civil society.
Women journalists hold power to account. Protecting them online protects the public’s right to information. Read more in the report summary, and see RFLD’s manual on shadow reports for how to bring cases to the African Commission.
About the report
This article draws on RFLD’s report Online violence against women in West and Central Africa 2026, published on 4 October 2026. Read the summary, download the English edition or the French edition.
