During the 16 Days of Activism, we are starkly reminded that violence against women does not begin or end offline. It follows them into their phones, their social media accounts, and every digital space where they speak, work, lead, or express themselves. In Uganda, women journalists, politicians, activists, and even students are facing a rising wave of online attacks that are not simply rude comments but deliberate efforts to silence, intimidate, and erase them from public life.
These attacks take an emotional, psychological, and professional toll. They push many into self-censorship, and some into withdrawal entirely, a process that weakens civic participation and harms democracy for everyone.
The New Digital Battlefield: Understanding Online GBV
Today, online gender-based violence (OGBV) has taken new forms that are faster, more invasive, and often anonymous. The attacks are rarely random; they are tools used to control women’s participation in leadership, public discourse, and community organizing. When a woman is silenced online, her influence in other spaces also shrinks, which affects the entire civic space.
Types of Attacks Women Commonly Face:
- Harassment, insults, threats, and humiliating messages.
- Doxxing, where private information is leaked to intimidate.
- Non-consensual intimate imagery and sexualized abuse.
- Impersonation on social media to spread misinformation or damage reputations.
- AI-generated deepfakes targeting women in politics or media.
- Manipulated photos and voice notes meant to scandalize or shame.
- Targeted phishing attacks disguised as personal or work-related messages.
- Cyberstalking and obsessive monitoring of online activity.
- Lastly, Trolling and Coordinated Swarming: Where large groups are mobilized to overwhelm a woman’s account with abusive content, making platforms unusable.
Empowerment in Action: DPI’s Practical Safety Toolkit
Defenders Protection Initiative continues to meet women who feel overwhelmed by online harassment but are unsure where to begin or how to protect themselves. Strengthening digital safety is not just a technical process; it is an act of empowerment and resilience-building. Practical tools and safer habits can drastically reduce exposure to attacks and increase women’s confidence as they navigate digital spaces.
Useful Tools and Practices Women Can Adopt:
| Category | Tool/Practice | Benefit |
| Secure Communication | Signal, Proton Mail | Safer, encrypted communication and private email. |
| Password & Access | Bitwarden, Two-factor authentication (Aegis, Authy, Google Authenticator) | Managing strong, unique passwords and preventing unauthorized account access. |
| Privacy & Anonymity | Brave Browser, Tor Browser | Improved anti-tracking protection and anonymity for high-risk users. |
| Verification & Reporting | InVID, Deepstar and Reality Defender | Tools for verifying deepfakes or manipulated images before spreading them. |
| Platform Settings | Regularly updating social media privacy settings, restricting who can tag or message you, and turning off real-time location sharing on all platforms. | Taking ownership of your digital boundaries. |
| Documentation | Time-Stamped Evidence: Document harmful posts using screenshots and URLs, ensuring dates and times are clearly captured for legal reporting. | Crucial for Legal Action: Provides the verifiable, immutable evidence needed for platform reporting, legal proceedings, and engaging with law enforcement or human rights bodies. |
Responding to online abuse requires preparation and community. Beyond the tools, women should be empowered to report using platform tools, block accounts that escalate harassment, and seek support from trusted networks or institutions.
A Shared Responsibility for a Safer Digital World
Online violence thrives in silence, which is why the 16 Days of Activism is a powerful reminder that protecting women’s voices is a shared responsibility.
At DPI, we continue to provide digital security training, digital forensics, account-recovery assistance, and psychosocial referrals so that no woman has to face OGBV alone.
But the fight is bigger than us:
- Organizations must invest in digital safety policies and provide robust HR support for targeted staff.
- Men must actively challenge harmful online behavior and report abuse when they see it.
- Platforms must strengthen their moderation systems and hold abusers accountable.
- And as a community, we must make the internet a place where women feel safe enough to lead, express themselves, and participate fully.
A safer digital world is possible, but only if we work together to create it.
We urge you to share this post and commit today to challenging digital violence.
#EndDigitalGBV #16DaysOfActivism
