ADDRESSING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN DIGITAL SPACES: POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ACROSS LOWER-MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES—A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW"

Abstract

Gender-based violence (GBV) in digital spaces is a burning issue in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs), where rapid digitalization, inadequate legal frameworks, and deeply -rooted gender inequalities increase the vulnerability of women. While several laws and policies exist to address GBV, their effectiveness is often undermined by inadequate enforcement, socio-cultural barriers, and lack of enough digital literacy. This systematic review examines existing policies, legal frameworks, institutional mechanisms and recommendations to address GBV in digital places across LMICs. The review identifies key policy gaps, enforcement challenges, and best practices that have been effective in combating digital GBV. It further explores the role of community engagement, legal reforms, and technological interventions in creating safer online spaces. By making evidence from different LMIC contexts, this study provides actionable recommendations for legislators, researchers, and stakeholders to reinforce policies, advance implementation, and improve protections against GBV in digital environments.

Methods

This review employed the search terms: "Gender-Based Violence," "Digital Spaces," "Online Harassment," "Cyberstalking," " "Policies," and "Lower-Middle-Income Countries" across four databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and CINAHL. Citation chaining was also used to capture additional relevant literature. From an initial pool of 1200 articles, 350 were screened, with excluded based on title and abstract. After a full-text review, 25 studies were included in the final analysis, consisting of qualitative studies, quantitative studies, scoping reviews, systematic reviews, and reports.

Findings: Seven areas identified the different aspects and challenges related to gender-based violence, particularly in digital contexts. These areas include Gender-Based Violence and Human Rights Violations, forms of Digital Gender-Based Violence (GBV), the Impact of GBV, Legal Frameworks and Policies, Regional Focus,  Support Systems and Awareness Campaigns, and Prevention and Intervention Mechanisms. This study concludes and recommends that to address Gender-Based Violence (GBV), particularly in digital contexts, recommendations include conducting comprehensive data collection to understand prevalence, assessing the impacts on victims, and analyzing existing legal frameworks for gaps. Developing policies and awareness campaigns to educate the public, enhance support systems for victims, and provide training for professionals in related fields is vital. Additionally, fostering community engagement and exploring technology solutions can significantly aid in preventing and responding to GBV.