Ayesha, a bright and ambitious university student in Dhaka, had always believed in the power of words to inspire change. Motivated by a classroom discussion on gender equality, she decided to share her thoughts on social media, hoping to ignite a meaningful conversation. Her post, carefully articulated and passionate, quickly attracted attention—but not the kind she had envisioned. Instead of thoughtful engagement, her comment section became a flood of vitriol. Strangers attacked her appearance, ridiculed her intelligence, and even issued veiled threats, questioning her character and morality. Overwhelmed and shaken, Ayesha deleted the post and retreated from the digital space she once saw as empowering. In doing so, she silenced herself—not out of choice, but out of necessity.

Ayesha’s story, in the context of Bangladesh, is not unique. For countless women in patriarchal societies, social media has become a hostile environment where their voices are systematically attacked. Abusive and irrelevant comments, often laced with sexism and intimidation, drown out meaningful dialogue. This harassment is not just a series of isolated incidents; it is a deliberate tactic to maintain control over women’s autonomy in a new, digital form. Far from the neutral platform it was envisioned to be, social media often amplifies existing power dynamics, reflecting the deeply ingrained societal norms that marginalise women. This phenomenon is not merely a social inconvenience—it represents a psychological assault, a philosophical dilemma, and a violation of fundamental human rights.

Psychologically, the impact of such harassment is profound and enduring. Women like Ayesha, subjected to relentless abuse, experience anxiety, depression, and a pervasive fear of self-expression. This psychological damage is compounded by a culture of victim-blaming, which often questions why women are active online rather than addressing the behaviour of their harassers. Over time, the emotional toll leads many women to withdraw from digital platforms entirely, further silencing their voices. Philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre’s concept of “bad faith” provides a useful lens to understand this withdrawal: under immense external pressure, individuals deny their agency and retreat into roles imposed upon them. For women in these scenarios, this means living inauthentically, constrained by the fear and hostility directed at their attempts to speak freely.

Philosophically, the issue of cyber-bullying raises troubling questions about power, ethics, and agency in the digital age. Social media was designed as a neutral tool of communication, but in practice, it has been co-opted to reinforce patriarchal norms. Simone de Beauvoir’s existentialist call for women to assert their individuality and autonomy becomes particularly poignant in this context. When women use digital spaces to challenge societal norms, they provoke a backlash from those invested in maintaining the status quo. Michel Foucault’s theories of surveillance and discipline also resonate here. Social media platforms, far from being liberating, often act as mechanisms of control, where women’s agency is monitored and curtailed. The platforms themselves bear ethical responsibility for this reality, as their algorithms and moderation policies often fail to prioritise user safety over engagement metrics and profit margins.

Human rights frameworks and subaltern theory together unravel the insidious exclusion of women from digital spaces. While the Universal Declaration of Human Rights promises freedom of expression and privacy, these rights crumble when women are drowned out by relentless online harassment. The weaponisation of personal photos and data, coupled with the silencing of their voices, shatters global commitments like CEDAW that champion gender equality. Subaltern theorist Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s question — “Can the Subaltern Speak?” — feels eerily relevant here. Women may speak, but their voices are muted, twisted or outright ignored by a digital ecosystem designed to protect patriarchal power. Antonio Gramsci’s cultural hegemony sheds light on this dynamic: Silencing women is not random; it is a calculated move to keep them on the fringes, both online and offline. Cyberbullying is not just trolling—it is a tool of systemic control, weaponised to gatekeep the platforms that shape society and diminish women’s ability to disrupt the status quo.

Fixing the crisis of online harassment against women requires more than just laws or better algorithms. It demands a total shift in how we think, act and build the spaces we inhabit online. The government must go beyond lip service and enforce real protections, holding harassers accountable with zero tolerance for excuses. Social media platforms can no longer hide behind profits and vague promises. They must invest in tools that make safety and dignity a non-negotiable part of the user experience. But the real battle lies deeper: in the attitudes that normalise silencing women, that treat harassment as inevitable and that dismiss the harm it causes. This is not just about policing behaviour; it is about rewriting the rules entirely, tearing down the patriarchal scaffolding that props up these systems. Subaltern theory reminds us that transformative change does not come from surface fixes; it comes from breaking and remaking the structures that perpetuate inequality. The internet’s power to elevate voices is immense, but that power must be reclaimed. The digital age should stand as the moment women took back control—not just of the platforms they use but of the narratives, spaces and futures that belong to them.

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The writer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at IUBAT and pursuing a Masters in Human Rights and Multiculturalism at University of South Eastern Norway