WOMEN have been excluded from new laws against online abuse despite suffering the most from it, campaigners have warned.

The End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) and Glitch, a charity opposing online abuse, are demanding that proposed legislation be changed to give specific online protection to women and girls because they bear the brunt of such posts.

The government has boasted that its Online Safety Bill is “world-leading” and will impose a “duty of care” on social media companies to protect users.

But in its current format, the Bill fails to protect women and girls, who are disproportionately affected by online abuse, the groups say.

A study by the campaigners published today found women are 27 times more likely than men to be harassed online, that one in five women experience online harassment or abuse and that black women are 84 per cent more likely to be targeted than white women.

EVAW director Anrea Simon, said: “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to allow women to be free and safe from abuse in online spaces, and it cannot be wasted.

“This law must include women and girls within it.”

The groups have launched a petition, supported by survivors of online abuse, demanding that the law names and recognises the ways in which online abuse particularly affects women and girls.

Glitch chief executive and founder Seyi Akiwowo said: “Women and girls need to feel free to not only survive in online spaces but also thrive. 

“I think it is great that we have a draft law that is looking at regulating tech companies to improve online safety, but there is no mention of women nor gender at all.

“This law must address how women are facing gender disinformation and are being targeted online.”

Online abuse of women and girls includes image-based sexual abuse, misogynistic abuse, online stalking and harassment.

One survivor of image-based sexual abuse, who asked to be identified only as Madison, said: “These images and recordings managed to travel from my home town to where I now currently live, despite there being over 300 miles between the two locations.

“At the time, the uploads were shared/viewed approximately 8,000 times.” 

Another survivor of image-based sexual abuse, Ruby, said: “It feels like perpetrators are all around you and the experience made me nervous and paranoid.

“We didn’t feel supported by the police, but we also didn’t feel like the law supported the police to get a prosecution either.”