The discursive function of gendered online hate speech in Kosovo

A researcher-led monitoring project tracked 625 social media comments across 67 posts on 22 major Kosovo Facebook and YouTube pages during May 2026, a period coinciding with local elections.

Two-thirds of sexist comments aimed to delegitimize women in politics, media, or public debate, with women reduced to animal metaphors, sexualized insults, and contamination imagery rather than criticized on substance. The abuse extended to domestic violence victims, missing women, and at least one minor girl.

Only 32 of the 625 comments pushed back against the sexism, using language about dignity and fairness rather than insults. The researchers call this the first phase of a broader effort.

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