DIGITAL VIOLENCE THREATENS WOMEN’S RIGHTS GAINS — ADVOCACY HUB WARNS
By: Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban
As the world marks 30 years of the Beijing Declaration, Advocacy Hub’s Adenike Badiora has warned that rising digital violence is undermining decades of progress on women’s rights, health and equality.
Speaking at a webinar organised by Advocacy Hub with NN-SLAM and supported by the Festus Fajemilo Foundation, Badiora noted that despite global improvements in legal protection, GBV services, peacebuilding participation and education, women still face major setbacks. She highlighted slow leadership representation, increasing poverty, stalled maternal mortality progress and the growing number of women living in conflict zones.
Badiora stressed that digital abuse, such as online harassment, deep fakes and image-based violence, now poses one of the biggest threats to women’s safety and participation, silencing their voices and reducing their engagement in public life. She urged government agencies, law-enforcement bodies and civil society groups to treat online violence as a serious crime and promote safer digital spaces.
NN-SLAM Chairman Isah Gidalo welcomed participants, noting that the digital space has become central to work and learning and must be safe for women and girls. Goodwill remarks also encouraged continued advocacy and accountability.
The webinar, themed “16 Days of Activism 2025: End Digital Violence Against Women and Girls,” brought together stakeholders who agreed that ensuring women’s safety online is essential to achieving gender equality.
Source: Radio Nigeria