16 Days of Activism: Tackling Online Abuse of Women
The “16 Days of Activism” campaign is a global movement aimed at raising awareness and ending gender-based violence against women and girls. Held annually from November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to December 10 (Human Rights Day), the campaign brings together countries, civil society organizations, and activists. This year’s theme, “United to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls,” emphasizes the urgent need to combat online harassment and discrimination.
The Rights Monitor Media will cover the campaign by sharing news, reports, personal stories, and reflections from Afghan women and girls, highlighting their experiences with violence and restrictions.
Violence against women can be physical, psychological, economic, or sexual, and its impact can last for years. In the digital age, this violence has extended online, including threatening messages, abusive comments and posts, unauthorized sharing of private photos, and AI-generated deepfakes—over 90% of which involve sexualized images of women.
Statistics show that one in three women experiences gender-based violence in her lifetime, and between 16% and 58% of women and girls face digital abuse. Online harassment can escalate to threats, stalking, assault, and even murder, forcing many female journalists and activists to abandon their work.
Solutions include holding perpetrators accountable, creating safe online spaces, supporting women’s organizations, promoting digital literacy, and raising awareness against misogynistic content. Through these measures, digital spaces can become tools for empowerment and equality for women.
