Activists and lawyers across Africa are issuing urgent calls for action to safeguard women, girls, and boys as digital violence escalates rapidly on the continent. Experts report that a massive increase in internet users, combined with a large population under 30, is fueling a rise in gendered online violence, providing perpetrators with new tools to control and silence women and girls, and influence boys. Ayesha Mago, global advocacy director at the Sexual Violence Research Initiative, warned that the online world is exacerbating inequalities, creating a foundation for a very unequal future.
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), as defined by the UN, encompasses acts committed using digital tools that result in physical, sexual, psychological, social, political, or economic harm. The consequences are severe, affecting multiple aspects of women's and girls' lives and often forcing them into self-censorship or complete withdrawal from online spaces. Research indicates that up to 60% of women globally have experienced such abuse. TFGBV manifests in various forms, including doxing, deepfake abuse, sexual harassment, intimidation, and sextortion, infiltrating homes, workplaces, and educational institutions, with potential to escalate into offline violence, including femicide.
Vulnerable groups include young women and girls, women with disabilities, women of color, LGBTIQ+ individuals, and women in political and public life, such as parliamentarians, activists, and journalists. In Africa, internet access is growing exponentially, with over 70% of the sub-Saharan population under 30, heightening exposure to online risks. A study across five sub-Saharan countries found that 28% of women had experienced online violence, a number expected to rise as internet penetration increases. According to the International Telecommunication Union, only 38% of Africans are internet users, dropping to 31% among women.
National-level research paints a grim picture of extreme violence and toxic online environments with dire real-world consequences. In Ethiopia, gendered abuse has become normalized, with women reporting no platform feels safe. In Uganda, 49% of women reported online harassment in a 2021 survey. In South Africa, upcoming research suggests exposure to harmful content makes men 2.6 times more likely to perpetrate violence and 1.8 times more likely to hold misogynistic views. Women in politics are particularly targeted, with 46% of female parliamentarians in Africa facing sexist online attacks and 42% receiving threats of death, rape, or abduction via social media.
Globally, nearly 40% of women experience tech-facilitated violence, and 85% of online women witness or encounter abuse. Fewer than 40% of countries have laws protecting against cyber harassment or stalking, leaving 1.8 billion women and girls without legal protection. In Africa, about 17 countries have introduced cybercrime legislation, but Mago notes most fail to acknowledge the gendered nature of abuse. The African Union Convention on Ending Violence against Women and Girls, introduced in 2024, includes digital violence but is criticized as "regressive" by Sibongile Ndashe of the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa.
Beyond legislation, challenges include low awareness of rights, poor digital literacy, and inadequate law enforcement. Mago emphasized that people often underestimate the effects of online violence, and platforms neglect local languages and contexts. She stated, "Platforms need to be accountable for the harm occurring on them and prioritize user safety over profit, which is definitely not happening anywhere in the world." This highlights a critical gap in addressing TFGBV, requiring coordinated efforts from governments, tech companies, and civil society to combat this pervasive issue.
Source: www.theguardian.com