‘Strategic Engagement Key To Stopping Gender-based Online Violence’

Stakeholders in the fight against Tech-facilitated Gender-based Violence (TfGBV) have urged for strategic engagement between government and civil societies in order to make and enhance existing laws against digital violence.

They made this known at a policy roundtable themed: ‘Unite to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls’ – organized by Tech Her in collaboration with Luminate, and Leading Ladies Africa, as part of the ongoing United Nations ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence’ held in Abuja.

Participants highlighted several violence acts perpetrated against women and girls online via technology and AI. These crimes range from cyberbullying to cyberstalking, revenge porn to sextortion, sexploitation to deepfakes, among others.

A study by Tech Her indicates that 58 percent of girls online have reported experiencing some form of online gender-based violence, with 85 percent encountering multiple forms of harassment, while 39 percent of girls across major African cities are concerned about online safety.

Unfortunately, as with traditional sexual and gender-based violence cases, women bear the brunt of non-consensual pornography shared online by their ex-partners, or when AI is used to undress and expose women’s bodies online, an action that big techs seem to reward.

Compounding the issue is the slowness of the justice system in responding to TfGBV, and the lack of support for survivors.

“The justice system is significantly slower than it can be. There are bottlenecks within the police. Bottlenecks with prosecutions and these contribute to just a failure to deliver justice swiftly,” said Tech Her, executive director, Chioma Agwuegbo.

Since the establishment of KURAM, an online platform for reporting online gender-based violence in Nigeria in 2023, Tech Her provides not only quick responses to female victims of digital violence but also financial and legal support to help them obtain justice.

“What we need urgently, is to make the Nigerian Cybercrime Act a lot more citizen-centered. And to come-up with an online safety act that very clearly defines tech-facilitated gender-based violence, and also prescribes solutions,” said Agwuegbo.

To achieve a citizen-centered Cybercrime Act, participants affirmed that a strong strategic engagement between government and the civil societies are needed.

There is need for civil societies to position themselves in rooms where negotiations are made between government and big techs, to ensure that citizens-focused issues – bordering on their safety and protection are represented. Otherwise, compromises detrimental to the citizens, will be made by both sides that are naturally inclined towards profits and positive recognition.

“Different stakeholders have to take different responsibility for the state of the digital space now, and how we should get to that place where everyone who comes to the digital space can be safe, feel safe and carryout their activities in a way that serves them and the society,” said Luminate Africa, vice president, Toyin Akinnusi.

Luminate, she said, is supporting Tech Her in creating awareness, engaging policymakers and other important actors to ensure the digital space remains safe for all.

As part of sensitizing the public on TfGBV – Tech Her will organise a host of activities in 2026, to educate the Nigerian public, on what is online violence, and what it looks like, then embarking on a second awareness campaign that enlightens the masses on the existing laws that can punish online-violence facilitators.

Meantime, founder, Leading Ladies Africa, Francesca Uriri, said women leaders must function in communities both off-and-online, rather than bear the stigma or backlash of online violence alone.

“The more you connect with and engage with community, the more there is knowledge sharing, the more there is growth, skill building and the confidence to navigate these incidences of TfGBV.”