Author: Lucina Di Meco

Lucina Di Meco is a women's rights advocate and author, recognized by Apolitical as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy for her work on gendered disinformation. She's the co-founder of #ShePersisted, a cross-national initiative to tackle gendered disinformation and online attacks against women in politics. Her work has been featured on The New York Times, the BBC, Time Magazine, The Washington Post, Politico, and El Pais, and she has written for The Brookings Institution, The Council of Foreign Relations, The Wilson Center, among others.
How Digital Media is Threatening Women's Rights and Democracy

How Digital Media is Threatening Women’s Rights and Democracy

As feminist activists take advantage of the U.N. Women 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence globally and as the U.S. Department of State Summit for Democracy launches in the United States, we must recognize that women who challenge the status quo and speak out against injustice and inequality are facing an increasing amount of online abuse.

Gendered disinformation and online abuse against women in politics are not only a problem for the women who are targeted, but undermine women’s rights and democracy at large. 

Holding Big Tech Accountable for Online Violence Against Women and Gendered Disinformation

Holding Big Tech Accountable for Online Violence Against Women and Gendered Disinformation

As a result of online misogyny, many women renounce political careers, self-censor or refrain from speaking out, while illiberal actors and authoritarians become ever bolder in their use of social media as a tool to silence opposition, roll back women’s rights and erode democratic institutions. We cannot let these practices continue, and we cannot let platforms who are able to make substantive change continue to skirt their responsibilities.