As the 16 Days of Activism Conclude, A Reflection on Next Steps
This year’s theme for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence—Unite to End Digital Violence—reminds us of an essential truth: violence evolves, and our strategies to fight it must evolve too. Today, one of the fastest-growing forms of abuse facing women and girls—especially in African communities—is digital violence.
From mobile phones to social media, the online spaces that should offer connection, learning, and opportunity are becoming sites of bullying, exploitation, harassment, and manipulation. In our recent GEDC Data Sprint, women and girls voiced their concerns clearly:
“Yes, online abuse is becoming serious.”
“Girls are being bullied and exploited through social media.”
“Cyber violence—online harassment and image-based abuse—can lead to psychological trauma.”
“The internet should be a safe haven, not a death sentence.”
“Teach online safety and reporting.”
One of our member organizations, SUSTAIN Cameroon, shared what they are witnessing in their community and how they are responding to the emerging threat:
“Digital violence is a pervasive and growing threat here in Cameroon. We see firsthand how children and youths, especially in underserved communities, are targeted through cyberbullying, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, sexual extortion, and grooming by perpetrators who exploit their limited digital literacy and the lack of safe reporting channels.”
SUSTAIN Cameroon’s approach to address digital violence includes empowering youth, educating families and teachers, and establishing reliable reporting systems. Their work exemplifies the power of grassroots action.
We applaud their efforts and the efforts of all our member organizations. The 16 Days of Activism offer a valuable annual opportunity to increase awareness about the persistent threat of violence against women and girls. But at the conclusion of this year’s campaign, we ask: What next? Here at ACESWorld, we assert that we must confront a critical gap: the communities most affected by violence are the least represented in existing data.
Our member organizations respond to the needs they see in their communities with what they have at their disposal, but they need more. They require the tools to gather disaggregated data, conduct community-based surveillance, and to evaluate programs. Otherwise, these hard-working organizations who are best positioned to address the needs of their communities, cannot truly know what those needs are and if their interventions are working.
Without data, violence —digital and otherwise—remains hidden, unseen by policymakers, underfunded by donors, and unaddressed in national strategies. Awareness alone cannot protect girls if we cannot measure the scale of harm or evaluate what solutions work.
If you would like to make a tangible difference in the fight to end VAWG, please consider making a donation. Your support enables us to provide organizations the training and tools they need to collect data that gives visibility to women and girls who have been statistically invisible for far too long.
