The EU is increasing funding to combat gender-based violence online.
The parliament's Gender Equality Committee has passed a proposal for more funding to combat gender-based violence online.
The vote came as part of the Gender Equality Committee's work on shaping priorities for its long-term budget.
MEP Maria Walsh made the proposal.
Midlands North-West representative says she was inspired by the growth in AI 'deepfakes':
“The rise of gender-based violence online is fueled in no small part by biased algorithms which repeatedly reinforce dangerous and outdated stereotypes of women and girls," she said.
"These algorithms feed into the creation of harmful content online such as deepfake videos and images."
The MEP continued, "shockingly, 96% of deepfakes created are pornographic in nature with 99% of victims are women."
The European Parliament’s Gender Equality Committee has passed my proposal calling for increased funding to address the growing threat of gender-based violence online.https://t.co/3p6vozA8P7
— Maria Walsh MEP (@MariaWalshEU) April 10, 2025
Commission Support
Maria Walsh recently met with the European Commissioner for Equality, Hadja Lahbib, where they spoke about the rise of online gender based violence.
The Commission has offered its support in tackling the issue.
Fine Gael MEP Walsh concluded, "the time for meaningful action is now.”
