Building Digital Resilience: Girls and young women demand a safer digital future
Plan International, CNN's As EqualsWhat is it?
This report is the result of collaboration between Plan International and CNN As Equals to hear directly from young women and girls about the harms they face online, how they protect themselves and how tech companies, governments, local communities and their own families should play their part in keeping them safe.
HIGHLIGHTS
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Over two-thirds (67%) of girls and young women surveyed feel primarily responsible for their own online safety. While they show digital resilience, many believe they shouldn't bear this responsibility alone, calling for structured support from tech companies, governments, and communities.
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The research reveals that 75% of respondents have experienced harm online, with 44% encountering unwanted sexual content and 25% facing discrimination or hate speech. Participants stressed the need for greater accountability from tech firms, including faster, more accessible reporting options and AI tools to detect fake accounts. They also called for abuse to be handled by trained staff rather than bots and urged for stronger legislation to hold abusers accountable.