Global Media Coverage of Violence Against Women Hits 'Dismal' Low

A new report has found that media coverage of violence against women and girls has reached a 'dismal' low, despite a proliferation of high-profile cases of men abusing women and children, and a rise in AI-assisted violence against women and girls. The analysis of 1.14bn online stories published worldwide between 2017 and 2025 found that the proportion of articles including terms related to misogynistic abuse dropped to 1.3% of all global online news in 2025, the lowest level in that period.

Coverage peaked at 2.2% in 2018, the height of the #MeToo movement. In Africa, where multiple conflicts have involved extreme levels of sexual violence, coverage sank to a nine-year low of 1.18% in 2024. The report also found that when misogyny-related stories are covered, men's perspectives and opinions dominate, with 1.5 men quoted for every one woman in stories about misogyny.

The research identified a failure to address the structural nature of misogyny that enables abuse through long-standing prejudices and power imbalances. One in nine women worldwide have experienced violence from men in the last 12 months and one in three women have been subject to physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. The report recommended solutions to improving coverage of violence against women and girls, including putting female journalists and editors in charge of shaping coverage, and victims and survivors of violence at the heart of the story.