Online misogyny has reached crisis levels, with women and girls subjected daily to harassment, abuse and discrimination across digital spaces. A recent Team Lewis study, conducted in support of the HeForShe Alliance, found that 80 per cent of Gen Z and 76 per cent of Millennials are deeply concerned about sexist rhetoric on social media. The latest Gender Snapshot further underscores the scale of the problem, revealing that nearly three in four women journalists have experienced online violence.

At this year’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the HeForShe Alliance – a UN Women initiative engaging men and boys in gender equality – hosted a summit on 23 September, spotlighting Equitable Masculinities and Safe Digital Spaces. The gathering convened Heads of State, global CEOs, civil-society leaders, and youth voices to emphasize the urgency of renewed leadership and collective action to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

“Women and girls are subjected daily to harassment, abuse, and discrimination across digital spaces. We must take bold action against online violence and misogyny – and engaging men and boys is essential to confronting harmful digital behavior. HeForShe reflects the growing recognition that gender equality is both a shared responsibility and a shared reward”, said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous.  shift.

The Summit launched the 2025 HeForShe Alliance Impact Report, highlighting that members have reached nearly 40 million people, including 1.24 million direct beneficiaries – primarily women and girls. Key areas of impact include preventing gender-based violence, expanding digital access to support services, promoting STEM education, and advancing economic empowerment.

“We are witnessing a drift towards radicalized discourses and attitudes, especially in young men, which are undermining gender equality and hard-earned rights. Spain is committing resources and supporting international alliances to promote counternarratives that emphasize positive, equitable and violence-free role models and to specifically address gender-based violence in digital spaces”, said President of Spain Pedro Sanchez, a HeForShe Champion. The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Félix Tshisekedi also participated in the event.

UN Women presented the updated HeForShe Barbershop Toolkit 2.0, a peer-led resource developed with support of the Government of Iceland and global partners to engage men and boys in practical, intersectional conversations on gender equality.

As the global community gathers in New York for UNGA80 and marks three decades since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the HeForShe Alliance is a powerful reminder that gender equality is not a side issue, but it is central to building a just, safe and sustainable world.

About HeForShe

Created by UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, HeForShe is a solidarity movement for gender equality that invites men and boys to act for a more equal world. HeForShe provides a targeted platform where a global audience can engage and advocate for the achievement of gender equality in our lifetime.

About UN Women

UN Women exists to advance women’s rights, gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. As the lead UN entity on gender equality, we shift laws, institutions, social behaviours and services to close the gender gap and build an equal world for all women and girls. We keep the rights of women and girls at the centre of global progress – always, everywhere. Because gender equality is not just what we do. It is who we are.