Islamabad (TDI): Female ambassadors in Islamabad came together on Monday to launch the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, calling for urgent action to confront one of the fastest-growing threats facing women and girls today, digital violence.
The ambassadors gathered to reaffirm that online spaces must be safe, inclusive, and free from intimidation and that every woman and girl deserves the right to speak, participate, and exist online without fear.
The 16 Days of Activism is an international movement dedicated to raising awareness and driving action to end violence against women and girls.
Running every year from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day), the campaign unites governments, communities, and individuals in supporting survivors and challenging harmful norms.
This year’s theme, “UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls,” highlights the rapid surge of online abuse as a major global concern.
What was once celebrated as a tool of empowerment has, for millions of women and girls, become a source of fear.
Fuelled by AI-driven technologies, anonymity, and weak accountability systems, online violence is escalating at an alarming rate. Despite this, an estimated 1.8 billion women and girls still lack any form of legal protection against cyber-harassment and technology-facilitated abuse.
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A major global study reveals the scale of the crisis; nearly four in ten women have personally experienced online abuse, while 85% have witnessed it happening to others.
The rise of deep fake technology has made the situation even more dangerous. According to the UN report Up to 95% of all deep fakes online are non-consensual sexually explicit images, and 99% of those targeted are women, turning AI into a weapon that disproportionately harms women’s dignity, privacy, and safety.
UN Women is raising an urgent warning this week, saying that the online world has become a new battleground for women’s rights.
With fewer than 40% of countries having any laws to tackle cyberstalking or online harassment, abusers often get away without consequences, while survivors are left with no real path to justice.
At the launch event in Islamabad, the ambassadors emphasized that there is #NoExcuse for any form of online abuse. “Women and girls must be able to participate freely and safely both offline and online,” they stated. “Digital spaces should empower, not endanger.”
As the 16 Days campaign gets underway, they urged governments, tech platforms, and communities to work together to make the internet a safe place for women and girls everywhere.
The message is clear; online violence is real violence, and protecting women’s digital rights is essential for achieving equality in the modern world.
Minahil Khurshid
Minahil Khurshid holds a Master's in Peace and Conflict Studies from NUST. She is passionate about current affairs, public policy, and geopolitics.
