Cybercrime Against Women as a Hindrance to Development in the Digital Age: A Sociological Study

Ananya Mitra; Srikanta Ganguly

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.70898

Cybercrime Against Women as a Hindrance to Development in the Digital Age: A Sociological Study

Author(s)	Ms. Ananya Mitra, Dr. Srikanta Ganguly
Country	India
Abstract	The rapid development of the digital age has transformed education, governance, economics, and social interaction by making online participation a key agent of development. However, the digital age has also witnessed a parallel surge in cybercrimes, specifically targeting women—manifesting as online harassment, cyberstalking, identity theft, financial fraud, sextortion, gendered disinformation and sexual exploitation. These cybercrimes cause psychological, financial, and social harm and act as substantial barriers to women’s participation and empowerment in digital domains, thus impeding their holistic development in society. It intersects with patriarchy, economic inequality, and the digital divide, producing cumulative disadvantages for women. Studies like (Sarma, 2024), (Ahlawat & Sharma, 2024) & (Vaishnav & Dewan, 2024) have shown that the prominent presence of gender-based cybercrime limits women’s access to educational, economic, and other official opportunities online. This withdrawal weakens inclusive growth, slows innovation, and reinforces patriarchal exclusion. According to UN Women (2022), one in three women worldwide has experienced some form of online violence, with younger women and women in public life facing the highest risk. The objectives of the study are to identify the most prevalent forms of cybercrime targeting women in the digital age and evaluate the impact of such cybercrimes on women’s personal, professional, and social development. This study shall be conducted through an online survey targeting 60-80 participants in Kolkata on types of cybercrime experienced, frequency, reporting behaviour, psychological impact, awareness and the impact on their digital participation. Convenience random sampling shall ensure the representativeness of the population’s probability of being a victim of cybercrime. The quantitative data shall be analysed through descriptive graphs. The data shall also be thematically analysed to uncover recurring patterns and socio-cultural factors. This research will contribute to the sociological understanding of how gendered online violence functions as a barrier to inclusive development in the digital age.
Keywords	cybercrime, gender, development, digital age, online violence
Field	Sociology
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 2, March-April 2026
Published On	2026-03-09
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i02.70898

View / Download PDF File

E-ISSN 2582-2160

doi

CrossRef DOI is assigned to each research paper published in our journal.

IJFMR DOI prefix is
10.36948/ijfmr

Downloads

Research Paper Format Copyright Permission Form and Undertaking Form Cover Page Vol 8 Isu 2 Cover Page Vol 8 Isu 1 Cover Page Vol 7 Isu 6

All research papers published on this website are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, and all rights belong to their respective authors/researchers.

CC-BY-SA

About IJFMR Fees & Payment Current Issue Publication Archive	Submit Research Paper Track Submission Status Publication Guidelines Publication Ethics Peer Review & Plagiarism	Join as a Reviewer Editors & Reviewers Reviewer Referral Program Get Reviewer Membership Certi.	Website/Journal Policies Usage Policy Content Policies Privacy Policy

Contact Us		+91-9687-828-838	editor@ijfmr.com

International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

Cybercrime Against Women as a Hindrance to Development in the Digital Age: A Sociological Study

Share this