Online spaces are the new frontier for gendered violence, which has escalated at alarming rates in recent years. Urgent action is needed to halt this epidemic of digital abuse, which poses significant risk to women and gender diverse people both online and off.
There are also distinct challenges in the representation of women and gender diverse people in the media. Although the media is often presented as authoritative and objective, the research shows it is anything but. Men's voices are more likely to be elevated, male experts are more likely to be quoted, and male public figures are more likely to receive fair and objective media coverage than their female and gender diverse counterparts. We have even found that the sexist media coverage of female politicians can act as a direct deterrent to women getting involved in politics, which has significant consequences for the future of women's political leadership in Australia and beyond.
Our research shines a light on gender bias in the media – identifying the ingrained inequalities that still act as barriers to women worldwide, and providing evidence-based approaches to tackling online abuse.
