Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)
This statement was originally published on cipesa.org on 25 April 2025.
The alarming surge in digital violence against women is a global crisis. Statistics show that, globally, 85% of women who access the internet have witnessed online violence against other women, and in some countries, 38% report personal experience with online abuse. A recent study conducted in Kenya found that 90% of young adults in Nairobi tertiary institutions have experienced online gender-based violence, with 39% having reported being direct victims of digital abuses.
With the rise in the use of digital technologies, including social media, millions of women and girls around the world are subjected to Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV). Documented cases of TFGBV include cyberstalking, cyberbullying, hate speech, misogynistic disinformation campaigns, cyber flashing, unsolicited sexually explicit content, doxing, deepfakes, trolling, and mansplaining.
Online violence has significantly contributed to the widening digital gender divide and online censorship in Africa, including in Nigeria, Uganda, and Kenya. Indeed, TFGBV is potentially hindering progress toward the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5, which aims for gender equality by 2030. The weaponisation of the online environment to harass, intimidate, discriminate against, threaten, and violate users based on their gender has intensified, leading to the silencing of critical voices. This crisis underscores the urgent need for enhanced protections, increased awareness, and effective interventions to shield women and girls from online threats.
In response to growing concern about TFGBV, in 2022, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) adopted a landmark resolution to protect women from digital violence. This resolution (ACHPR/Res. 522 (LXXII) 2022) marks a pivotal step toward safeguarding women’s rights in the digital realm. However, it remains underutilised and largely unknown by the broader society despite its potential to support efforts to combat TFGBV in Africa.
In an effort to address this information gap, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) hosted a webinar to amplify ACHPR Resolution 522 and advocate for collective efforts toward its implementation.
Amongst the participants in the webinar titled “Toward a Collective Effort to Amplify ACHPR Resolution 522 in the Fight Against Digital Violence Against Women and Girls in Africa” were government officials, civil society organisations (CSOs), human rights defenders, policymakers, legal experts, activists, and tech company representatives.
In her keynote address, Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, Uganda’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, expressed critical concern about women lacking knowledge about their legal rights in cases of online harassment and abuse. “Most women are unaware of their legal rights when facing online harassment. The absence of specific cyberbullying legislation in many African countries creates a dangerous legal vacuum, leaving women vulnerable online,” she said. Kadaga stressed the urgent need for legal reform, awareness campaigns, and stronger safeguards to ensure women’s digital rights are upheld.
Justice Monica Mugenyi, a judge of Uganda’s Supreme Court and former principal judge of the East African Court of Justice, emphasised that Resolution 522 can effectively address TFGBV if properly implemented. Mugenyi said African countries should enforce the resolution through the enactment of strong national laws with clear legal definitions, cross-border cooperation, and gender-sensitive frameworks to prosecute offenders and support victims.
Donald Deya, Chief Executive Officer of the Pan African Lawyers Union, noted that Resolution 522 addresses legal frameworks and political resolve deficiencies. He also pointed to South Africa as an example of progress in aligning national legislation with international human rights norms such as the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
Deya further stated that United Nations bodies – such as the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Human Rights Committee, and the Committee Against Torture – have consistently called on states to take decisive action to eliminate violence against women, whether perpetrated in public or private spheres. This duty is also echoed in regional human rights frameworks, reinforcing the global consensus on the need to uphold women’s rights and ensure their safety across all spaces, including digital environments.
Patricia Ainembabazi, a Project Officer at CIPESA, emphasised the importance of non-governmental organisations and civil society entities in championing human rights and ensuring accountability online. She pointed out the role of legal practitioners and intermediaries such as Meta, Google, and Microsoft in safeguarding these rights through accountability and upholding the provisions of Resolution 522, which acts as a rate card.
Key recommendations toward effective ACHPR Resolution 522 implementation:
Policymakers
Enact national legislation to align with Resolution 522.
Allocate sufficient funding for the effective implementation of laws that seek to punish perpetrators of TFGBV.
Strengthen regional collaboration with key institutions to address cross-border TFGBV through coordinated policies, joint enforcement mechanisms, and shared best practices.
Legal Professionals
Advocate for precise legal definitions of digital violence.
Offer pro bono legal assistance to survivors of TFGBV to ensure that they access justice.
Civil Society Organisations
Raise public awareness of Resolution 522 and its potential to enhance digital rights protection and enjoyment.
Collect and document cases to support evidence-based advocacy.
Provide guidance and support to victims navigating the justice system.
