The digital revolution promised a new dawn for Africa, a continent leaping forward into a future of boundless connection, education, and economic opportunity. For women and girls, this promise held particular power. The online world offered a portal: a way to access knowledge barred by classroom walls, to build businesses beyond local markets, and to find voices in global conversations. Yet, for too many, this portal has become a trap. The very spaces designed for liberation are increasingly weaponised for harassment, bullying, and abuse. As we mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the call to action is clear and urgent: we must unite to end digital violence. This is not a niche issue; it is one of the fastest-growing forms of abuse and a fundamental barrier to achieving true gender equality.

The African Digital Paradox: Opportunity and Peril

Across Africa, from bustling urban centres to connected rural communities, more women and girls are entering digital spaces than ever before. In nations like Guinea-Bissau, young women are leveraging technology for education, entrepreneurial ventures, and creative expression. This connectivity is a powerful engine for development and personal agency.

However, a sinister shadow follows this progress. The online world has become a new frontier for gender-based violence, mirroring and amplifying the inequalities of the physical world. Women and girls face a spectrum of digital harms: from sexual harassment and cyberstalking on social media platforms to the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, hateful speech designed to silence political participation, and coordinated bullying campaigns that target them simply for speaking, leading, or asserting their rights. This abuse crosses seamlessly from the digital to the physical, creating a climate of pervasive fear.

The Invisible Scars of a Connected World

The impact of digital violence is profound and deeply personal. The wounds are not visible, but they are real: fear, isolation, anxiety, and enforced silence. When a girl is targeted with threats for posting an opinion online, she learns that her voice comes at a cost. When a woman entrepreneur faces character assassination in local community forums, her livelihood is jeopardised. The psychological toll erodes confidence, stifles ambition, and drives women out of public digital spaces, the very spaces crucial for modern education, civic engagement, and economic survival.

This silencing effect has a devastating ripple. It reinforces patriarchal control, diminishes the diversity of voices in public discourse, and directly undermines investments in girls’ education and women’s leadership. If a girl cannot safely complete an online course or a woman cannot promote her business on social media without abuse, our efforts toward SDG 5 (Gender Equality) are being systematically undone in the digital sphere. Digital safety is not peripheral; it is central to the entire gender equality agenda.

A Call for Accountability and Culture Change: The Pillars of a Safer Digital Africa

Ending this epidemic requires a multi-faceted response that moves beyond individual caution to systemic change. The campaign for digital safety must be fought on three key fronts:

1. Accountable Technology Platforms: Social media companies and tech platforms operating in Africa must be held to a higher standard of duty of care. This means investing in robust, culturally competent moderation systems that understand local languages and contexts. Reporting mechanisms must be accessible, transparent, and responsive. Companies must proactively design safety features and enforce clear policies against gender-based abuse, rather than placing the endless burden of proof and defence on the targets of harassment.

2. Strengthened Legal and Policy Frameworks: National governments must recognise digital violence as a serious crime and integrate it into existing laws on harassment, stalking, and assault. Law enforcement and judicial officials require training to understand the nature of digital evidence and the trauma of online abuse. In Guinea-Bissau and across the continent, legal frameworks must evolve to protect citizens in the digital world as earnestly as in the physical one.

3. A Transformative Cultural Shift: Ultimately, technology only magnifies existing social attitudes. We must cultivate a digital culture that respects, protects, and celebrates the voices of women and girls. This starts with comprehensive digital literacy education—not just teaching girls how to code, but teaching everyone about digital citizenship, consent online, and bystander intervention. Men and boys must be engaged as allies in challenging the misogynistic norms that fuel online abuse. Community leaders, educators, and parents all have a role in fostering norms of respect and empathy in our increasingly digital interactions.

Our Collective Commitment: Building a Digital World That Lifts, Not Breaks

This year’s #16DaysOfActivism theme, “UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls”, is a powerful reminder that digital safety is central to gender equality.

At the Institute for Global Health and Development (IGHD), we stand firmly with the global movement to end all forms of gender-based violence, wherever they occur. Our work in community health and resilience is inextricably linked to the safety and empowerment of women and girls. A girl who is afraid online is a girl whose mental health, education, and future potential are under direct threat. Her well-being is a matter of public health and social justice.

The vision is clear: an Africa where women and girls thrive online, free from fear. An Africa where the digital world fulfils its promise as a place of safety, connection, and boundless empowerment. This future is not a given; it is a choice. It starts with us—with every share of a supportive message, every challenge to abusive content, every demand for accountability from platforms, and every conversation that teaches our children to wield technology with kindness and respect.

Let us unite, not just for 16 days, but with sustained commitment, to create a digital landscape that lifts our girls, rather than breaks them down. Their voices, their leadership, and their dreams are essential for the Africa we are all building.