Over the last decade, gender based violence against women journalists has been increasing and continues to form part of the daily routine of women journalists and media workers, who are subjected to intimidation, threats of rape, threats against family, and sexual harassment in the newsroom and in the field. They also are threatened for the type of stories they cover. While the digital era has created new opportunities for women journalists, it has also provided a platform for new forms of online violence including cyberstalking, defamation campaigns, "doxing", "sextortion" and "trolling", as well as the non-consensual distribution of intimate content (or "revenge porn").

In September 2016, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) unanimously adopted Resolution 33/2 on the safety of journalists. This was succeeded in 2017 by the adoption of UN General Assembly Resolution 72/175, on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity. While the UN has highlighted the rights of journalists through its various mechanisms, there has been limited focus on the specific threats faced by women journalists.