Ending Digital Violence Against Women & Girls: A UN Message for 16 Days of Activism

The Pervasive Nature of Digital Violence

• 📱 Digital violence against women and girls is not confined to physical spaces; it extends into phones, messages, and social media feeds.
• ⚠️ This abuse travels through online signals and posts, leaving unseen but deeply felt scars.
• 🌐 The spread of images can be global and instantaneous, often beyond the reach of national laws.

UN's Role in Victim Support

• ⚖️ The UN Victims' Rights Advocate's mandate is to ensure victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel have a voice, assistance, and justice.
• 🚫 These rights do not end where the digital world begins, following survivors online and offline.
• 💬 Digital violence is real, capable of silencing, isolating, and traumatizing victims.

Challenges and the Victim-Centered Approach

• 🔍 Survivors face disbelief, shame, and difficulty in achieving accountability as perpetrators hide behind anonymity and across jurisdictions.
• 💖 A victim-centered approach is crucial in the digital space, ensuring victims are safe, supported, and heard.

Call to Action for Safe Digital Environments

• 🤝 During the 16 Days of Activism, the message calls for unity to end digital violence against all women and girls.
• ✨ It reaffirms the shared responsibility to support survivors and build digital spaces rooted in dignity and respect.
• ✅ Every voice deserves to be heard, every right upheld, and every woman and girl deserves to be safe, putting victim's rights first everywhere.