Media coverage of violence against women and girls remains at \u201cdismal levels,\u201d despite the scale and severity of the issue, as well as the rise in forms of abuse, particularly through new technologies. According to a new international study, which analyzed 1.14 billion online articles published worldwide from 2017 to 2025, only 1.3% of news stories in 2025 included terms related to misogynistic violence, the lowest percentage of the period. The highest coverage was recorded in 2018, reaching 2.2%, during the period when the #MeToo movement was at its peak. <\/p>\n
The picture is even more alarming in regions such as Africa, where, despite the extreme levels of sexual violence associated with conflict, coverage fell to 1.18% in 2024, the lowest level in the past nine years. These figures highlight a deep divide between the reality experienced by millions of women and girls and the visibility the issue receives in public discourse. <\/p>\n
Professor Julie Pozetti, from the Centre for Journalism and Democracy at City, St George\u2019s, University of London, described the findings as \u201cshocking,\u201d noting that the limited coverage constitutes a failure of the press to respond to the seriousness of the problem. As she emphasized, violence against women and misogyny are not isolated incidents, but are linked to broader political and social dynamics, and even to the undermining of rights by authoritarian actors. <\/p>\n
The analysis of media coverage of the Jeffrey Epstein case is also indicative of this problematic approach. Out of nearly one million articles published between 2017 and February 2026, the term \u201cviolence against women\u201d appeared in just 0.1%. In contrast, 25% of the articles referred to \u201cvictims,\u201d while 26% focused on concepts such as \u201cpower,\u201d \u201cmoney,\u201d \u201celite,\u201d and \u201ccorruption.\u201d This approach fails to highlight the structural dimension of gender-based violence and the inequalities that perpetuate it. <\/p>\n
The report\u2019s lead author, Luba Kasova, noted that the perspective of gender inequality is almost entirely absent from this coverage, a fact that hinders understanding of the deeper causes of the phenomenon. The emphasis on individual data points, without connecting them to the broader context, limits the potential for meaningful information and social awareness.
\nAt the same time, the data on the extent of violence are revealing. It is estimated that one in nine women worldwide has experienced violence at the hands of a man in the past 12 months, while one in three has experienced physical or sexual violence at some point in her life. Given that reporting such incidents is often accompanied by fear and social stigma, the actual rates are likely even higher. <\/p>\n
Despite the scale of the problem, media coverage remains limited and often non-inclusive. When these stories are covered, male voices dominate. Research shows that approximately 1.5 men are mentioned for every woman in related articles, while among the experts featured, 24% are men and only 17% are women. This imbalance significantly influences how gender-based violence is portrayed, often marginalizing the experiences of the survivors themselves. <\/p>\n
At the same time, many media narratives continue to perpetuate stereotypes, sexualizing or objectifying women and girls, even when reporting on cases of abuse. This reinforces a culture that does not foster inclusion and hinders the creation of a public discourse based on respect and equality. <\/p>\n
Another concerning finding relates to the increasing use of the term \u201cgender ideology,\u201d which is associated with opposition to gender equality. References to this term have surged in recent years, reflecting the spread of narratives that seek to undermine rights and normalize misogyny in certain public and political spheres. <\/p>\n
The report concludes that structural changes are needed in the way the media approaches the issue. Among the recommendations are increasing the presence of female journalists and editors, placing victims and survivors at the center of the narrative, and highlighting the deeper social causes of gender-based violence, such as power imbalances, patriarchal norms, and a culture of misogyny. <\/p>\n
At a time when inclusion and diversity are at the center of public discourse, journalism is called upon to play a decisive role. Not only by reporting the facts, but by actively contributing to the understanding and addressing of a phenomenon that remains deeply rooted in societies. Because without visibility, there can be neither recognition nor change. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Media coverage of violence against women and girls remains at \u201cdismal levels,\u201d despite the scale and severity of the issue, as well as the rise in forms of abuse, particularly through new technologies. According to a new international study, which analyzed 1.14 billion online articles published worldwide from 2017 to 2025, only 1.3% of news […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9092,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[68,174],"tags":[294,236,386],"class_list":{"0":"post-9127","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-diversity-en","8":"category-gender-en","9":"tag-diversity-charter-greece-en","10":"tag-equality-en","11":"tag-human-rights"},"yoast_head":"\n