UN Mongolia's Joint Statement on Combating Gender-Based Violence Against Women and Girls

Violence against women and girls remains one of the most pervasive human rights violations worldwide—and Mongolia is no exception.

Technological progress brings both promise and peril. While innovation offers powerful tools to prevent violence and raise awareness, it also creates new avenues for harm. Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence has emerged as a serious threat, turning digital platforms into spaces of abuse and harassment.

Globally, 38% of women have experienced online violence. Adolescents and young people are particularly vulnerable. A 2024 UNDP study revealed that 51.3% of Mongolian youth have faced cyberbullying, including online insults. Similarly, a 2020 study on child safety found that 33% of children encountered inappropriate sexual content online, including pornographic images and videos.

Those in the public eye and from marginalized communities—politicians, journalists, activists, and persons with disabilities—are disproportionately affected. Misinformation, defamation, and hate speech remain among the most common forms of online violence.

To effectively prevent and respond, we must address the underlying barriers. The gender digital divide persists: women and girls often lack access to digital literacy and awareness of technology-facilitated violence. Digital safety must be integrated into education, while engaging men, boys, and media as allies.

Victim-blaming discourages reporting and must be dismantled as a harmful social norm. Meanwhile, perpetrators often evade accountability due to weak law enforcement, investigative challenges, and limited technological capacity.

We therefore call upon all sectors of society to #UNiTE against technology-facilitated violence. Our message is clear and unwavering:

• Join hands to make online spaces safe.
• Support survivors—never blame them—and provide gender-sensitive, child-friendly care and services.
• Ensure perpetrators are held accountable.
• Governments must criminalize all forms of technology-facilitated violence.
• Technology companies must guarantee safe, transparent, and accountable platforms.

In closing, the UN commends Mongolia’s growing efforts to strengthen its GBV response through legislative reform. Yet, emerging forms of digital violence remain overlooked, leaving women and girls vulnerable. Together, we must act—online and offline—to end gender-based violence in all its forms.