The Violence May Happen Online, but the Impact Is Real: OCDI Joins Stakeholders to Address TFGBV

The violence may happen online, but the impact is real. As technology becomes an increasingly important part of everyday life, digital spaces offer women and girls opportunities to learn, connect, express themselves, and participate in public conversations. However, these spaces can also expose them to harassment, threats, intimidation, and other forms of abuse that can affect their well-being, dignity, and freedom to participate online. Recognising the need to address these challenges, Olive Community Development Initiative (OCDI) joined stakeholders at an engagement organised by Webfala Initiative to discuss Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) and the growing forms of violence women and girls experience in digital spaces. Understanding Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence refers to acts of violence, harassment, or abuse that are committed, facilitated, or amplified through digital technologies and online platforms. These acts can take different forms, including online harassment, cyberstalking, threats, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, impersonation, and other forms of digital abuse. Such experiences can undermine the safety and confidence of survivors, affect their mental and emotional well-being, and discourage them from participating freely in digital spaces. Although these acts may occur through phones, social media platforms, messaging applications, and other digital channels, their consequences can extend beyond the internet into people’s everyday lives. Building Safer Digital Spaces Requires Collective Action The stakeholder engagement provided an opportunity to discuss the realities of TFGBV and the importance of strengthening efforts to prevent and respond to digital violence. Addressing TFGBV requires more than encouraging individuals to exercise caution online. It calls for increased public awareness, accountability for perpetrators, accessible reporting and response mechanisms, and stronger collaboration among civil society organisations, technology platforms, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders. It is also essential to create environments where survivors can seek help without fear of blame, stigma, or further harm. Women and girls should be able to use technology to access information, build relationships, pursue opportunities, and express their opinions without being subjected to violence or intimidation. Promoting Safety and Dignity Online and Offline OCDI recognises the importance of addressing gender-based violence in all its forms, including abuse facilitated through digital technologies. Engagements such as this contribute to broader conversations about protecting the rights, safety, and dignity of women and girls in an increasingly connected world. Creating safer digital spaces is a shared responsibility. Individuals, communities, civil society organisations, technology companies, and government institutions all have a role to play in challenging digital violence and strengthening the systems needed to prevent and address it. Because women and girls deserve to feel safe, respected, and heard, both online and offline. What Can We Do Differently? We can challenge online abuse when it is safe to do so, respect consent and privacy, report harmful content through appropriate channels, support survivors without blaming them, and advocate for stronger protections against technology-facilitated violence. Every action that promotes accountability and respect contributes to a safer digital environment. What can we do differently to make our digital spaces safer for everyone?