At a recent event held in the European Parliament, several women, including former Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová, shared harrowing personal accounts of online abuse, ranging from insults and sexualized comments to threats of death. These testimonies highlighted the pervasive misogyny and harassment that women face in digital spaces, shedding light on a troubling trend that has been exacerbated by the rise of social media.

Lina Gálvez Muñoz, a member of the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee and representative of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, emphasized that gender equality is not just a niche issue but a foundational democratic value for the European Union. She expressed concerns about the increasing spread of anti-gender narratives that aim to undermine the principle of equality and present it as an 'alien' idea to Europe, illustrating a growing cultural backlash against gender rights.

Moreover, Muñoz pointed out that while misogyny and patriarchal attitudes are not new, social media platforms have facilitated their rapid proliferation. Research indicates that young users can encounter misogynistic content on platforms like TikTok within just 23 minutes of starting to use them, contrasting sharply with the slow spread of feminist narratives. This alarming situation highlights the need for urgent action and advocacy to combat online harassment and promote women's rights in digital environments.