No More Violence Against Women; the podcast of the WAVE Network.

Beyond the screen: sexualisation and online abuse against young Latina women

In this episode, we focus on technology-facilitated violence against women and girls (TFVAWG) through an intersectional lens.

As our lives increasingly move online, so do many forms of violence. From harassment and hate speech to sexualised abuse and stalking, digital spaces have become another arena where violence against women and girls (VAWG) unfolds. According to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, around 10% of the women in the EU and the UK has experienced cyber harassment since the age of fifteen… with even higher rates among young women.[1]

But online violence does not appear out of nowhere. It reflects deeper inequalities and stereotypes that already exist in society, while the spread of misogynistic and anti-feminist narratives continues to raise VAWG.

In this episode, we explore one specific manifestation of this violence: the sexualisation and fetishisation of young Latin American women online.

The discussion is based on the peer research report “Voices of Young Latinas: Peer Research on Online Abuse and the Impact of Fetishisation”, conducted by members of the Young Women’s Advisory Board of the Latin American Women’s Rights Service – LAWRS in London.

Drawing on their own experiences and those of their peers, the young researchers explore the circulation of harmful stereotypes on social media, their roots in longer histories of racism and colonialism, and their impact on the everyday lives of young Latin American women.

Hosted by Tamina, WAVE Youth Ambassador representing England, this conversation brings together Júlia Dantas, Malena Campillay and Amélie Romano Gonzalez from the Young Women’s Advisory Board, and Melissa Munz, Young Women’s Project Coordinator at LAWRS.

References:

Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS). (2026). Voices of young Latinas: Peer research on online abuse and the impact of fetishisation. London: LAWRS : https://lawrs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/YWAB-Peer-research-report-2025.pdf

WAVE Network (2025) WAVE Country Report 2025: The status and value of women’s specialist services in tackling gender-based violence against women. Vienna: Women Against Violence Europe. https://wave-network.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WAVE-Country-Report-2025.pdf

Credits: 

Created and developed by 4th generation WAVE Youth Ambassadors, Tamina Summersgill (England)

Produced and edited by Branislava Arađan, WAVE Project and Youth Ambassador Coordinator & Julie Chauvin, WAVE Intern

Voice over: Julie Chauvin, WAVE Intern

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or opinion/position of Women Against Violence Europe (WAVE).

[1] European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. (2014). Violence against women: An EU-wide survey. Main results report. Publications Office of the European Union.