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Eliminating AI gender bias and violence against women 

Eliminating AI gender bias and violence against women 

By Christiana Warne 

“This is not bias. This is not toxicity. It is sexualised violence, produced at scale.” 

While AI can be a useful tool in the correct context, AI systems are not neutral. Research has revealed that AI chatbots are driving, enabling and normalising violence against women and girls, with gaps in law and policy hampering efforts to provide safety mechanisms adequate to address the scale of the problem. 

While governments are examining ways to tackle AI harms, experts say more needs to be done, including strengthening ethnical guidelines. 

Building ethical AI 

Sarah Wyer, a PhD student in the Department of Computer Science at Durham University who has researched how AI systems and chatbots generate harmful content about women and girls, told a recent UK Civil Society Women's Alliance (UKCSWA) meeting: Digital Justice for Women and Girls: Where International Commitments Meet Real Accountably, that chatbots increase violence towards women and ultimately set them back.&nb...Read more

Current Projects

MinDiShield (Combating Online Minority-Related Disinformation)

MinDiShield (Combating Online Minority-Related Disinformation)

MinDiShield (Combating Online Minority-Related Disinformation) is a two-year project co-funded by the European Union under the Creative Europe Programme. Bringing together six partners from Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece and Italy, the project works to strengthen the... Read more

Protecting At-Risk Activists from Threats and Attacks  (PARATA) Project

Protecting At-Risk Activists from Threats and Attacks  (PARATA) Project

The Protecting At-Risk Activists from Threats and Attacks (PARATA) project aims to strengthen the resilience of CSOs and HRDs in Europe to threats, attacks, and other politically motivated attempts to curb the freedoms of assembly,... Read more

Award recognition

Winner of the 2026 National Alliance Of Women’s Organisations award for outstanding contribution in the area of Women in Media Read more

Who we are

Media Diversity Institute (MDI) works internationally to encourage accurate and nuanced reporting on race, religion, ethnic, class, age, disability, gender and sexual identity issues in media landscapes around the world.

While our work is grounded in the principles of freedom of expression and values of diversity and inclusion, our day-to-day work focuses on cultivating practical skills to combat negative stereotypes and disinformation, improve media and information literacy, and influence the conversation on diversity and the media.

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Where We Stand: Gender, Language and the Politics of Hate 23 February 2026 | BELvue Museum, Brussels

A one-day symposium bringing together researchers, journalists, civil society organisations and policy experts to examine how gendered hate spreads through language, media and political discourse — and how communities resist it.

Keynote speaker Shada Islam, acclaimed journalist and MDIG board member, led a programme of six panels exploring hate speech, online radicalisation, platform responsibility and European regulation. The event was organised as the closing event of the EU-funded CHASE project, with support from the King Baudouin Foundation.

guidelines, studies AND resources

Media Diversity Institute gathers the latest guidelines, studies and other resources to help journalists, academics and civil society activists integrate a diversity perspective into their work.

For Journalists

For Journalists

Here are upcoming conferences, job openings and fellowship and grant opportunities.

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For Students

For Students

Here are academic resources and internship and scholarship opportunities.

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For CSOs

For CSOs

Here are training opportunities and resources on how to work with the media and create effective campaigns.

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Narratives That Divide: Minority Representation and the Infosphere

Narratives That Divide: Minority Representation and the Infosphere

MindiShield and PODCast are hosting a one-day event for young media professionals, religious and ethnic leaders, educational institutions, social organisations, …

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Condemned to loneliness? A Diversity Index to prevent media isolation ...

Condemned to loneliness? A Diversity Index to prevent media isolation ...

Media Diversity Institute will hold a Masterclass at the Gabo Festival in Bogota, Colombia, fostering a discussion on media inclusion in Latin …

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The Truth Frontline: Reporting War Crimes in the Age of Disinformation

The Truth Frontline: Reporting War Crimes in the Age of Disinformation

Journalists and fact-checkers were invited to participate in an online training course “Learning to Counter Disinformation”, offered by The Reckoning …

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MDI Podcast

Diversity Matters is a podcast exploring why diversity matters—especially in media—at a time when it’s under attack globally. Informative and provocative, it dives into representation, inclusion, and media policies, bringing together diverse voices for critical discussions. A Media Diversity Institute production, the monthly podcast promotes accurate, nuanced reporting on race, religion, ethnicity, class, age, disability, gender, and identity in global media.

What We Are Working On Now

Media Diversity Institute is working on a number of projects on the cutting edge of media and diversity issues. Check out what we are working on now.

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