Week unclouded. Women leaving social media, autism underdiagnosed, and domestic violence reports double.
News can be overwhelming to follow. Important news bites can get lost amongst all the hard and breaking news. Here are a couple of the headlines from this week and beyond that impact women.
Online misogyny driving women to leave social media
Photo by Konstantin Shmatov on Unsplash
Women are leaving social media platforms to steer clear of the misogynistic content. A new poll commissioned by Amnesty International UK reveals that women, particularly from Gen Z, are increasingly leaving social media platforms due to widespread misogynistic content.
The survey, which included 3,024 UK respondents born between 1996 and 2010, found that 73% had witnessed misogynistic content online, with half encountering it weekly. Over one-third (35%) switched their accounts to private, and 20% have avoided or left platforms altogether.
Less than half (49%) feel that social media is a safe space. “The findings underscore the urgent need for tech platforms to overhaul their policies and take concrete steps toward ensuring safer digital communities,” Amnesty International UK said.
Autism - girls remain underdiagnosed
Photo by Jude Infantini on Unsplash
Girls continue to be underdiagnosed with autism, largely due to the historical perception of autism as a predominantly “male” condition.
Professor Gina Rippon, a brain imaging expert, highlights that autistic girls are often misdiagnosed with anxiety, depression, or personality disorders, and many women only discover their condition much later in life. Boys are 10 times more likely than girls to be referred for autism assessments, and up to 80% of girls and women may initially receive alternative diagnoses before being accurately identified as autistic.
Rippon’s research, detailed in her new book "Off the Spectrum: Why the Science of Autism Has Failed Women and Girls," underscores the need for the scientific community to address these longstanding biases and ensure better support for autistic women and girls.
“The history of autism is male. When autistic girls meet clinicians, they are often misdiagnosed with anxiety, depression, personality disorders, or are missed altogether. Many women only discover they have the condition when they are much older, missing decades of support and understanding. Autism’s ‘male spotlight’ means we are only now starting to redress this profound injustice,” according to Rippon’s website.
Domestic violence reports double in a decade
Photo by Mattia Thw2sk on Unsplash
Reports of domestic violence in Malta have more than doubled over the past 10 years, Times of Malta reported this week.
In 2014, there were 1,048 reports filed, but by 2024, this number had risen to 2,225, marking a 112% increase. This surge was attributed to improved access to support services and a greater public willingness to come forward, especially after the establishment of the police Gender-Based and Domestic Violence Unit in 2020 and the opening of the domestic violence hub in Santa Luċija in 2024.
When it comes to domestic violence, data shows that the majority of cases involve psychological harm, accounting for approximately 78% of reports, with women making up the bulk of victims. Malta records the highest rate of domestic and gender-based violence reporting in the EU.
Share your news
Do you have some women-related news you want to share? Or perhaps an idea or topic you feel deserves to be spoken about and ‘unclouded’? Or an inspiring story to share?
If so you can comment below or send an email on hello@womanunclouded.com so we can discuss how to get your voice heard.