For Immediate Release
Date: 25th November, 2025
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
Digital technology has transformed the way we communicate, learn, and work. Yet for many women and girls, online spaces have become arenas of harassment and abuse. Online violence against women and girls refers to any act of gender-based harm carried out through digital platforms, social media, messaging apps, or other online tools. It violates human rights, silences voices, and limits opportunities for women and girls to thrive safely in digital environments.
While digital spaces offer immense opportunities for connection, education, and empowerment, they have also become a new frontier for abuse, harassment, and violence. Women and girls disproportionately bear the brunt of online harms, including cyberstalking, non-consensual image sharing, hate speech and threats, identity theft and impersonation, and cyberbullying. This digital violence has profound real-world consequences, silencing voices, damaging mental health, limiting economic opportunities, and pushing women out of public online life.
As we mark the 2025 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we recognize that digital spaces, once seen as opportunities for growth and connection are increasingly being used to target women and girls, silence their voices, and limit their participation.
Call to Action: Government and Key Ministries Must Act
Today, Alliances for Africa (AfA) is calling on the Government and key MDAs responsible for digital safety, including the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, and relevant cybercrime and national security agencies to take bold, accountable action against digital violence. They must enforce and implement policies that protect women and girls online.
While policies exist to combat online violence, the real question remains: how far have we gone in enforcing and implementing these policies? Policies without implementation cannot protect anyone. Commitments without enforcement cannot stop harm.
To advance safe digital space, we urge the Government to:
- Strengthen enforcement of existing digital safety policies to prevent online harassment, cyberbullying, and all forms of digital gender-based violence.
- Establish transparent reporting and accountability mechanisms that track progress, identify gaps, and guide improvements.
- Implement education and awareness programs to ensure young women and girls are informed, supported, and empowered to navigate digital spaces safely.
- Allocate dedicated resources and trained personnel within MDAs to monitor violations, respond swiftly, and ensure justice for survivors.
- Promote partnerships with civil society and tech stakeholders to expand digital literacy and build safer online ecosystems.
Ending digital violence is essential to building a society where women and girls can speak, lead, learn, and participate freely online. Implementation not just policy will determine whether digital spaces are truly safe and inclusive.
On this international day of global action, we reaffirm our commitment to ending all forms of violence against women and girls, both offline and online. We call on leaders, policymakers, educators, digital platforms, and communities to stand together in this mission.
Together, we can and must end digital violence against women and girls.
#IDEVAW2025
#EndDigitalViolence
#SafeOnlineForWomen
Alliances for Africa (AfA):
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