Published on: 2026-10-23
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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October 23, 2026 Women
Fake intimate videos and photos, digital blackmail, and cyberbullying – artificial intelligence is creating new forms of gender-based violence. This warning was issued today by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Experts called on states to combat gender stereotypes that underlie discrimination and violence.
The Committee presented its recommendations today in Geneva. The document clarifies the obligations of states under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women regarding the eradication of gender stereotypes in all spheres of life.
Algorithms reproduce biases
“Artificial intelligence systems can reproduce and amplify gender stereotypes and intersecting forms of discrimination against women,” the Committee warned. Particular concern is raised by the use of generative AI and AI agents for violence against women. This includes sexualized images and videos, deepfakes, sexual extortion, targeted attacks on women in leadership positions in society, as well as cases where perpetrators impersonate another person.
The committee called on states to regulate AI systems and digital platforms. Platforms must create effective mechanisms for complaints and the prompt removal of offensive and discriminatory content, and victims should have access to legal remedies. In addition, decisions made with the help of AI in education, employment, healthcare, the financial sector, and justice must be transparent, undergo independent oversight, and human verification.
Violence is not a “family matter”
Experts have recommended reviewing laws and practices in which violence against women is treated as a private or domestic matter, where responsibility for its prevention is placed on the women themselves, and aggression and control by men are justified.
Stereotypes also permeate the justice system. According to experts, they influence how women’s testimony is evaluated and what decisions are made, and can lead to judicial errors. The committee called for holding judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers who perpetuate discriminatory stereotypes accountable, and for reviewing decisions made under their influence.
Distribution of responsibilities
Ideas that a woman takes care of the family while a man earns money reinforce economic inequality, experts note. The committee called for a more even distribution of unpaid care work, expansion of parental leave policies, and improved accessibility of care services. Experts also state the need to take measures against unequal pay, bias in lending, and to eliminate career barriers. Furthermore, they called for reforming discriminatory laws related to marriage, divorce, child custody, inheritance, and property.
In healthcare, stereotypes can influence diagnosis, pain management decisions, and reproductive health. The Committee also called for ensuring that all medical procedures are conducted with the informed consent of patients, taking measures against obstetric violence, decriminalizing abortions, and guaranteeing accessible services for abortion and contraception.
The Committee also recalled that gender stereotypes often intersect with discrimination based on race, age, disability, economic status, and migration status.
At the same time, armed conflicts, climate disasters, and humanitarian crises increase the burden on women, make violence the norm, and reinforce the stereotype of women as victims rather than decision-makers, experts warned. They called for ensuring women’s participation in crisis response.
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