A research based exploration of how online violence, harassment, and emerging technologies are contributing to self censorship among women in the Western Balkans. The piece examines how fear of digital abuse can discourage women from speaking publicly, participating in political debate, or engaging in activism, and considers what this growing silence means for freedom of expression, political participation, and democracy across the region.

I think you might know the feeling: The conversation you were in just turned to static. Your cheeks flush. Your stomach drops. You hear yourself say, What the fuck? 

Your account has been erased.

I've spent years talking to artists, activists, and creators whose work has disappeared in that gut-wrenching instant. No amount of experience, careful wording, backup plans or familiarity with platform rules really prepares you for it. It always feels surreal. One second you're there; the next you're gone, trying to prove you ever existed at all.