African Youths Tackle Digital Violence Against Women, Girls

Young people across sub-Saharan Africa are driving a powerful wave of online advocacy as the 2025 “UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls” campaign gains momentum.

Leveraging insights from UNESCO’s flagship “Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future” (O3) programme, now active in 35 countries, the Nigerian youth community has taken the message beyond classrooms and into the digital space, using their voices to challenge the rising tide of online abuse.

As the world marks the start of the annual #16DaysOfActivism against Gender-Based Violence, young Africans are rallying online to amplify a growing global call: digital spaces must be safe for women and girls.

Digital violence has become one of the fastest-growing forms of abuse, affecting millions of young women who navigate school, work, and social life through their screens. Studies referenced in the campaign show that 1 in 3 women experiences some form of online harassment, ranging from cyberstalking and non-consensual sharing of images to hate speech, impersonation, threats, and coordinated digital attacks.

For many victims, the abuse doesn’t end when they leave a physical space; it follows them through every ping, message, and notification. Today’s young activists are using their platforms to stress that behind every username is a human being whose mental health, dignity, and safety matter.

“This campaign is a reminder that silence is not protection, silence is permission,” one youth advocate wrote while sharing the call to action. “If we do not challenge online abuse, we normalise it.”

Across various social platforms, Nigerians are posting videos, survivor stories, advocacy messages, and educational content aimed at reshaping attitudes about digital harm. Their posts demonstrate a profound understanding that online safety is now a fundamental human right, particularly for adolescent girls who heavily rely on digital tools for learning, expression, and connection.

The growing online mobilisation builds on years of groundwork laid by programmes like UNESCO’s Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) initiative, which has empowered millions of adolescents across 35 countries with the knowledge, confidence, and digital literacy needed to protect themselves and advocate for others. Through health education, life-skills development, and safe-learning initiatives, the programme has helped young people become more aware of gender-based violence, its signs, its impact, and the importance of collective action.

As the second phase of O3 continues, its impact is increasingly visible online: young people are not waiting for institutions to speak, they are taking ownership of the narrative. They are reframing digital platforms as spaces for activism, solidarity, and community protection.

For the next 16 days, and long after the campaign ends, youth networks say they will keep speaking out.

“Every share, every repost, every comment is a stand against abuse,” one participant noted. “We are building safer digital spaces, one voice at a time.”

With their coordinated efforts sweeping across the internet, young people are shaping a powerful message: online violence leaves no visible bruises, but it can destroy lives, and stopping it is everyone’s responsibility.