1Retired Principal, University Law College, Gauhati University
2Research Scholar, PG Department of Law, Gauhati University
Online harassment against women has emerged as a critical, social, psychological, and legal concern in an increasingly digitized world. Women face harassment in various forms cyberstalking, doxxing, non-consensual image sharing, hate campaigns, sexualized trolling, revenge pornography, deepfake exploitation, and other manifestations of technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Although numerous national and international legal frameworks have attempted to address these evolving harms, significant gaps persist between legislative intent and enforcement realities. This study provides a comprehensive, detailed, and critical examination of the current legal protections against online harassment targeting women and the enforcement barriers that undermine those protections. Using a qualitative methodology grounded in legal analysis, comparative review, case examination, and thematic interpretation, the research uncovers systemic failures in policing, judicial interpretation, digital forensic capability, and public awareness. Findings show that patriarchal biases, weak technological infrastructure, cross-border complexities, opaque platform policies, and societal stigma contribute to weak accountability. The paper proposes well-founded reforms including legal modernization, improved cyberpolicing, coordinated international cooperation, gender-sensitive training, and stronger digital literacy initiatives to build safer online environments for women.
Keywords: Online harassment; cyberstalking; technology-facilitated gender-based violence; digital rights; legal enforcement; deepfakes; hate speech; cyberlaw; online misogyny; women's safety
How to cite this article: Bora JP, Boro B. Online Harassment Against Women: A Critical Analysis of Existing Legal Frameworks and Enforcement Challenges. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(12s): 20-26. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.12s.4
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: None