Digital violence can spill over into real life, leading to coercion, blackmail and physical assault, among others. Photos: Freepik
Technology benefits society and connects us, yet it has also opened new doors to danger. From cyberbullying and doxxing to AI-generated deepfakes and online stalking, digital spaces have become a new frontier for gender-based violence.
This year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, from Nov 25 to Dec 10, focuses on this crisis under the theme set by the United Nations: "Unite to end digital violence against all women and girls".
The campaign shines a spotlight on how online abuse is not "virtual"; it leaves deep emotional, psychological and even physical scars.
Women with strong public presence – journalists, activists, politicians and content creators – are often the most targeted, but no one is truly immune. The abuse is even more severe for women who face overlapping forms of discrimination, such as those from marginalised communities or those with disabilities.
According to UN Women, one in three women worldwide experiences some form of gender-based violence in her lifetime. And despite growing awareness, digital violence remains difficult to tackle.
Online abuse leaves deep emotional, psychological and even physical scars.
Implementation of laws to protect online users often lags behind technology which is moving at a rapid pace. And social media platforms are slower to take responsibility for harmful content.
The anonymity of perpetrators, the cross-border nature of online abuse, and the rise of AI-driven manipulation have all made justice harder to achieve.
At the same time, online spaces such as the "manosphere" – where misogyny is normalised and amplified – fuel the backlash against women’s rights.
As the world marks the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – a comprehensive global agenda for gender equality and to empower women and girls – the call to make digital spaces safe for women and girls has never been more urgent.
Cyberbullying is an increasingly common occurrence in today's digital world.
To mark this year’s campaign, Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) is calling on civil society, private sector players and individuals to collaborate for the 2025 edition of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
It hopes to spark nationwide conversations on how digital abuse intersects with everyday life and how each of us can help end it.
"Digital violence is not just an online problem – it’s a social one," says WAO advocacy manager. Gandipan Gopalan. "We need to recognise it as real violence, with real consequences. That means building laws, systems, and cultures that protect women both online and offline."
Since 1998, WAO has organised campaigns to challenge harmful norms and push for change.
For 2025, WAO is inviting collaborators to work on a series of thought-provoking topics that highlight the complexity of gender-based violence in digital spaces, including why Malaysia needs a comprehensive online safety framework, how domestic violence extends into digital spaces, male allies in ending violence against women and girls, stalking in online spaces and gender hate speech, among others.
These topics provide a framework for collaboration, whether through workshops, podcasts, art installations or social campaigns.
Gandipan says it's important to recognise digital violence as real violence with real consequences. Photo: Women's Aid OrganisationThe 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a global movement linking violence against women to human rights. The dates, Nov 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) and Dec 10 (Human Rights Day), symbolically connect these struggles.
During this period, individuals, organisations and communities around the world unite to amplify the message: violence in any form is a violation of human rights.
WAO hopes to get everyone involved by hosting or joining a digital safety talk, supporting survivors and local services, sharing educational content online, encouraging male allyship and bystander intervention, and wearing or displaying orange, the colour of hope and a violence-free future.
"Together, we can build a safer digital world – one where every woman and girl can live, work and express herself freely, both online and offline," says Gandipan.
For collaboration enquiries, email: gandipan@wao.org.my or call 012-225 3237.
