On Wednesday December 10th Protection International (PI) took part in the event “Online hate against activists: gendered risks, psychological impact, and protection strategies.” 

The event was organised by the Regional Network of Civil Society Organisations of Central Asia ‘Ray of Light’, with support from UN Women and the Central Asian Alliance to End Gender-Based Violence. ‘Ray of Light’ is a platform uniting more than 600 civil society organisations (CSO) representatives and human rights defenders (HRDs) from across Central Asia. 

The event explored how online hate is used as a tool of suppression, how gender and intersectional factors heighten vulnerability, and what individual and collective strategies can strengthen protection. Online hate has become one of the most widespread forms of pressure on HRDs, aiming to silence, discredit, and push activists out of public space. The discussion fits into a broader context of coordinated civil-society efforts to protect the right to defend human rights and eliminate gender-based violence in the central Asian region.

Our protection officer Esset Samatova represented Protection International, bringing her expertise in psychosocial support and protection of HRDs. She shared insights from our ongoing internal work on tackling online hate and its psychological impacts on HRDs. Such forums establish a vital, two-way relationship between PI and HRDs, allowing us to continuously understand their evolving needs in a rapidly changing world. This learning, in turn, directly informs and strengthens our tools and methodologies on HRD protection. Esset’s participation is part of PI’s commitment to integrating preventive protection, resilience, and wellbeing into HRD support worldwide.