Digital gender-based violence in Mexico: Preparing for action to protect women from new forms of harm.

Digital technologies now shape how women communicate, study, work, and participate in public life in Mexico, yet these spaces have also become sites of harm that are often minimized or ignored. Digital gender based violence, including offensive messages, threats, surveillance, and the nonconsensual sharing of information, raises urgent questions about whose experiences are recognized and who decides what counts as violence. Although research on traditional domestic and sexual violence is extensive, data on digital GBV in community settings remain limited. Without this evidence, prevention, intervention, and policy making risk falling behind, making it urgent to understand the scope of digital harm and who is most affected.

Using nationally representative data from the 2021 ENDIREH survey, this study examines experiences of digital violence among 19,436 single women in Mexico, a population rarely centered in research or policy discussions. We analyze access to technology, exposure to harmful messages, characteristics of perpetrators, and disclosure. Findings show that fifteen percent of single women have received offensive messages and two percent have had harmful information posted about them. Exposure is highest among adolescents, young adults, and women with boyfriends. Most perpetrators are strangers, yet nearly three out of four victims never disclose what happened, and fewer than five percent seek institutional support.

By documenting who is affected and who remains unseen, this study reframes digital GBV as a question of equity and recognition while calling for systems that translate insight into meaningful protection so digital life does not come at the cost of safety or dignity.