Feminist Frontlines of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign

Across the world, feminist organizations are redefining what it means to adapt and resist violence against women and girls (VAW/G) in the digital age. From Serbia to Cambodia, from Kenya and Nigeria to Sri Lanka, activists are proving that violence against women and girls no longer stops on the streets, at schools, or in public spaces—it extends into every pixel, post, and platform where women’s voices challenge patriarchal norms that perpetrate violence. 

UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women and Girls grantee partners are on the frontlines of this shift — 88% now report encountering technology-facilitated violence* in their work, often facing the same attacks they seek to prevent. They are strengthening survivor support, building digital-safety systems, generating evidence, and pushing for stronger legal protections and platform accountability — reaching the most exposed, protecting civic space, and innovating faster than existing systems. 

The examples below show this leadership in action: intergenerational solidarity and digital-literacy training, research-driven advocacy, stronger service-provider response, and youth-led mobilization. Together, they illustrate how feminist movements are redefining safety in the digital age. 

Serbia: FemPlatz and the Next Generation of Feminist Digital Activism 

For FemPlatz, the Serbian feminist organization at the forefront of documenting and responding to violence against women and girls in public spaces, activism is no longer confined to physical spaces. 

“The first step in effective response to digital VAW/G is to acknowledge and recognize all of its forms, the severity, as well as its combination and continuum... The meaning and boundaries of public space augment and alter with digitalization.”, said Andrijana Čović, Expert at FemPlatz. 

In its latest research, FemPlatz highlights how women in public places, including activists, journalists and students actively targeted into silence. Indeed, FemPlatz staff and volunteers have also faced coordinated online attacks, which prompted FemPlatz to build internal safety protocols, reporting mechanisms, social media moderation, and strengthening feminist solidarity networks. 

FemPlatz particularly ensures that young feminists stand at the center in its response to digital VAW/G. 

“Young people bring new perspectives, creativity, and urgency to feminist advocacy; their leadership is vital for shaping inclusive and sustainable social change.”, continued Andrijana, “Their actions in digital campaigns are bold, direct, and appeal to wider online community.” 

During 16 Days of Activism, FemPlatz runs a series of community-tailored campaigns, including workshops, exhibitions, public discussions and a social hackathon, an activity that mobilizes community to play a part in tackling this emerging form of VAW/G. 

 “Every post, story, or campaign is a small act of resistance,” says Communications Officer Anastasija Kojić. 

Cambodia: Klahaan and Community Voices Confronting Digital Violence 

In Cambodia, the feminist organization Klahaan—which means “brave”—embodies the spirit of resistance embedded in its mission to influence policy reform and raise awareness within communities to change attitudes and behaviors towards VAW/G in the digital age.  

Through participatory research and advocacy, Klahaan exposes how digital VAW/G is normalized, misunderstood, and often left unpunished. Different forms of digital VAW/G are rampant, especially sextortion, harassment, and exploitation. 

 “Some perpetrators don’t even understand that this is violence,” explains Executive Director Map Mao.  

Guided by these findings, Klahaan is collaborating with its network of local partners embedded in their communities to address this form of violence. Through workshops, animation videos and discussion panels throughout the 16 Days of Activism, Klahaan is drawing the attention to the impact of digital VAW/G on already marginalized groups, including Indigenous, young women and girls, or those in LGBTIQ+ community. The organization also works with government partners to develop a specific legal framework to address digital VAW/G, call for educational curriculum changes, and survivor-centered services, including a mental health hotline for victims of online abuse. 

Sri Lanka: Centre for Equality and Justice (CEJ) and Building Accountability for Digital VAW/G 

In Sri Lanka, the Centre for Equality and Justice (CEJ) is tackling multiple gaps in addressing technology-facilitated VAW/G through a mix of legal advocacy, training, and partnership. In its recent research, the findings expose deep knowledge gaps among service providers: a lack of digital literacy, confusion over evidence collection, and limited trauma-informed care. CEJ's response is practical and immediate: capacity-building workshops for police, lawyers, and social workers; digital evidence guides; and survivor-centered awareness campaigns. Effectively, CEJ has built networks of accountability and care, working with district-level women’s groups, the police, and the Bar Association, among other civil society organizations. 

But the fight for justice is also a fight for reform. Globally, only less than half of countries have laws on online abuse and enforcement of existing legislation is weak. Sri Lanka, like many other countries, has limited comprehensive legislations around technology-facilitated VAW/G, while survivors often face the offline consequences of violence online.  

“The law must shift the burden of response from the survivor to the platform,” argued Sahani Chandraratna, Advocacy Consultant at CEJ.  

Nigeria & Kenya: WARDC and the Architecture of Digital Safety 

Across Nigeria and Kenya, the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) is reframing what it means to fight technology-facilitated VAW/G while other forms of VAW/G are rampant.  

“The feminist movement is facing a profound dual crisis.”, said Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Executive Director. 

In WARDC’s most recent research, findings showed how digital VAW/G magnifies gender inequality. For many women, the digital world—once a space of empowerment—has in parallel become an arena of harassment, cyberstalking, and exploitation. 

As WARDC observes the rise of technology-facilitated violence and how young women are targeted, its focus also zooms in on digital safety and literacy training.  

“Tackling this dual challenge demands more than fragmented efforts; it requires radical intergenerational solidarity.” 

Through pioneering work in movement-building, research, and policy advocacy, WARDC led intergenerational dialogues that brought veteran feminists and young digital activists together, forging a partnership of experience and innovation. Their findings shaped regional solidarity actions, where women from across Africa united to demand gender-sensitive laws and platform accountability. 

Over 600 women and girls have now been trained in digital safety—learning to detect threats, report abuse, and protect their digital identities.  

"Digital safety is non-negotiable for movement building and sustenance.”, said Dr. Akiyode-Afolabi. “When women are equipped with data, skills, and solidarity, they can transform the digital space from a site of abuse into a powerful platform for leadership and change.” 

*Note: Multiple terms are used to describe how digital technologies have enabled new forms and patterns of violence against women and girls, which is increasingly being experienced across the online-offline continuum, including technology-facilitated gender-based violence/violence against women and girls, or digital violence. In this article, we are using Digital Violence against Women and Girls (DVAWG) and Technology-Facilitated Violence against Women and Girls (TFVAWG).