16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER BASED VIOLENCE 2025

Theme: “UNiTE! Invest to End Digital Violence against Women and Girls”

Digital violence has become one of the fastest growing and most alarming forms of abuse in our society today. It mirrors, and too often magnifies, the deep rooted gender inequalities already entrenched in our communities. This must stop.

Every day, women and girls are confronted with relentless forms of online violence including:

A. Online Harassment: Unwanted messages that create discomfort or fear.
B. Cyberbullying: Repeated hurtful or demeaning messages.
C. Trolling: Inflammatory comments aimed at provoking or humiliating individuals.
D. Doxing: Sharing personal information without consent.
E. Image Based Abuse: Posting or distributing intimate images without permission.
F. Online Stalking: Unwanted monitoring of one’s online activities.
G. Hate Speech: Discriminatory or demeaning content targeting individuals or groups.
H. Impersonation: Fake accounts created to damage reputation.
I. Gaslighting: Manipulating individuals into doubting their reality.
J. Sextortion: Threatening to release explicit content unless demands are met.

FIDA Nigeria acknowledges that these forms of online violence leave deep psychological, emotional, and reputational scars. They also deprive women and girls of the learning, earning, and leadership opportunities that digital platforms provide.

The internet, once a space for innovation, connection, empowerment, and expression, is increasingly being weaponized against the most vulnerable. As a result, many women and girls retreat from digital spaces out of fear of harassment, identity theft, impersonation, blackmail, or malicious AI generated falsehoods about their lives. This withdrawal limits their access to the countless opportunities technology offers for growth and development.

In an age where technology should bridge gaps and create opportunities, Nigerian women and girls are still being pushed out of digital spaces by targeted abuse and harassment. This erosion of confidence and opportunity undermines their rights to free expression, privacy, safety, and participation, and stalls national efforts toward gender equality and inclusive development.

This crisis persists despite existing laws such as the Cybercrimes Prohibition Prevention etc Act 2015 and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act 2015. Weak enforcement, anonymity of perpetrators, limited awareness, inadequate digital literacy, and insufficient accountability from tech platforms all contribute to impunity.

As we begin the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence with a focus on digital violence, FIDA Nigeria calls for immediate, united, and decisive action.

We urge government agencies, law enforcement, and policymakers to strengthen enforcement of relevant laws, adopt survivor centered approaches, and ensure swift prosecution of offenders.

We call on tech companies to assume greater responsibility by enforcing clear rules of engagement, removing harmful content promptly, and educating users on safety and reporting channels.

Equally important is sustained public awareness to promote digital literacy, responsible online conduct, and safety knowledge. Working collaboratively with development partners, we must create safe online spaces, empower survivors to speak out, and encourage timely reporting and access to justice.

Digital violence must never be trivialized or dismissed as free speech. It is violence, real and harmful, and must be treated as such. The safety of women and girls cannot end at the click of a button.

FIDA Nigeria insists that the digital world must uphold the same standards of dignity, privacy, respect, and protection that apply offline.

Let us UNiTE with collective resolve to end digital violence.

Signed:
Eliana Martins
Country Vice President and National President FIDA Nigeria

Chineze Obianyo
National Publicity Secretary and Editor in Chief
FIDA Nigeria