The echoes in the wires: digital violence and the 16 days of activism

Every year, the world unites from 25 November to 10 December to observe the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a global movement dedicated to raising awareness, strengthening commitments, and inspiring collective action to end violence against women and girls.

Originating from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991, the campaign has become one of the most recognized international advocacy periods, encouraging governments, civil society, communities, and individuals to speak out against injustices women face in their homes, workplaces, institutions, and now increasingly, online.

This period is significant not only because of its global participation but also because it anchors several international observances that reinforce the urgency of safeguarding women’s rights.

It begins with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November and concludes with International Human Rights Day on 10 December, symbolically linking the fight against gender-based violence with the fundamental rights and freedoms every woman deserves.

Throughout these days, conversations intensify, policies are revisited, and communities are called to confront norms that normalize or excuse violence in any form.

As digital spaces become central to personal, social, and professional life, the 16 Days of Activism have evolved to address modern forms of harm that threaten women and girls.

Cyberbullying, online harassment, non-consensual distribution of images, gendered misinformation, stalking, and digital exploitation now pose powerful threats that can cause deep psychological, social, and economic consequences.

These forms of violence transcend physical boundaries; they follow victims into their homes, interrupt their education or careers, and can attack their identity and dignity at any time.

Because technology is fast-growing, these harms spread quickly and often invisibly, making the need for a unified response more urgent than ever.

For 2025, both global and local campaigns place strong emphasis on addressing these digital realities.

Under the global theme “Unite to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls” and Malawi’s localized theme “Unite to Ending Digital Gender-Based Violence in Malawi,” the country continues to highlight the importance of creating safe, respectful, and equitable online spaces.

With more women participating in the digital world for education, business, advocacy, and communication, protecting them from cyber-based harm becomes a national responsibility.

As Malawi commemorates the 16 Days of Activism, government officials acknowledge that digital violence is now one of the fastest-growing forms of abuse.

During this period, Minister of Gender Mary Navitcha stressed the significance of the commemorations, explaining that the campaign coincides with several global observances.

Navitcha added that the 16 Days serve as an important national platform to raise awareness, strengthen national and community engagement, as well as provide a forum for dialogue and strategy sharing for preventing and responding to gender-based violence.

Her concerns highlight a troubling reality: as digital access expands, so does the scale and complexity of online abuse.

“In Malawi, evidence shows that about one in three children experiences cyberbullying and many women and girls are increasingly exposed to online harassment, image-based abuse, sexual exploitation, gendered misinformation and other forms of digital violence,” she said.

“Victims report anxiety, damaged reputation, depression and in some cases suicidal thoughts.”

Priscilla Kayira Nsane, a former Zodiak Broadcasting Corporation presenter, is one of the women who has faced cyberbullying, ranging from body shaming to criticism over her choice not to have children despite being married.

She shares how this has affected her mental health and professionalism.

“I am always trending for the wrong reasons. Maybe I voiced out my opinion, and people don’t agree, or I’m just getting backlash for things that I don’t even understand. I feel like everybody has a sense of having their own opinion and trying to voice it,” she says.

“But when people don’t like you, I guess they don’t like you. So it’s been years of getting cyberbullied. I think ever since I got on social media, ever since people recognised me as a public figure, things haven’t really been all so rosy for me, especially online,” Nsane adds.

She further added that “Social media has been used for the wrong reasons. I think my say on that would be that people get educated. People need to know how to use social media in the healthiest way, not in a destructive way.

She has since called for sensitization to let people know that whatever they’re doing is destructive to someone’s mental health.

“It’s destructive to someone’s self-esteem and their confidence. But a lot of people are not empathetic. They’re not emotionally aware of what their actions do cause on other people.”

The Malawi Police Service acknowledges that cyber-related gender-based violence is steadily increasing.

According to Alfred Chimthere, Deputy Police Publicist, cases of GBV remain high.

“Like this year, over six months, we have reported the cases of about 11,006.”

He noted that while some cases are successfully referred to court, many remain under investigation due to the technical nature of digital offences. Chimthere emphasised that police structures are evolving to meet these new challenges.

“We encourage people who have been victimised to come to our victim support unit. We also have our digital forensics and the cyber crime unit, which look into cases like cyberstalking, harassment, online abuse, hacking, and distribution of intimate images.”

Yet enforcement remains difficult, especially when perpetrators hide behind anonymity.

Female journalists and media practitioners are among the most frequent victims, according to Dorothy Kachitsa, AWOME President.

“It is sad to note that as a country, as we are advancing in technology, other people are taking advantage by using such tools to victimize women. We would like to call upon our members to be vigilant.”

Civil society organisations say Malawi must now shift from awareness to enforcement.

Chairperson of the NGO Gender Coordination Network Maggie Kathewera Banda, explained that the 16 Days have increased knowledge on GBV over the years.

“There’s been a lot of awareness raising. People have come to understand what gender-based violence is all about and there are laws put in place to address the same.”

However, Banda warned that the digital realm remains largely unregulated in practice.

“If you can check the theme, it’s on digital justice. There’s a lot of GBV taking place in cyber space most of the times it’s women who are attacked. Let’s use the digital tools responsibly.”

She stressed that societal attitudes remain a major barrier.

“We still have victim-blaming survivors are victimized again by how society responds. We have social norms that normalize violence.”

From a regulatory standpoint, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) says it is stepping up monitoring and awareness interventions.

Limbani Nsapato, MACRA’s Head of International Relations and Corporate Communications, explained that Malawi’s legal framework already criminalizes online abuse.

“We currently have regulations in place through the Electronic Protection and the Cyber Security Act, which makes cyber bullying a crime in Malawi, punishable by law.”

He added that the authority regularly conducts nationwide digital safety tours and targeted engagements.

“We continue to undertake campaigns, including the Women in Cyber Conference, to drive awareness about cyber crimes specifically targeted at women.”

Despite the laws and awareness campaigns, stakeholders agree that Malawi’s fight against digital violence is far from over.

The challenge now is ensuring that policies translate into real protection for women and girls who face online abuse daily. From government ministries and police units to civil society organisations and regulatory bodies, every institution has a role to play, but so do communities and individuals.

As Malawi observes the 16 Days of Activism, the central message remains clear: ending digital gender-based violence requires collective effort, stronger enforcement, and a national commitment to making online spaces safe for all women and girls.