Every day, countless African women and girls face harassment, intimidation and abuse online. These actions silence their voices and limit their participation in the digital economy. In sub-Saharan Africa, 34 percent of young people aged 18 to 24 have experienced online bullying, and according to UN Women, 28 percent of women in sub-Saharan Africa have experienced online violence. These figures highlight that digital gender-based violence is not an abstract problem, but a widespread barrier to equality, opportunity and empowerment.
As Africa accelerates its digital transformation, we must ensure that safety and inclusion go hand in hand. Ending gender-based digital violence is central to achieving inclusive growth, human dignity, and the promise of Africa’s digital future. Here are five bold actions we can take to make online spaces safer and further empower women and girls.
1 Establishment of comprehensive and gender-sensitive cyber laws
Many African countries still lack laws that clearly define and criminalize digital forms of gender-based violence. Where laws exist, they are often poorly enforced and survivors often face limited protections. African governments should develop and enforce laws that recognize gender-based digital violence as a crime, ensure survivor-centered protection, and foster cross-border cooperation to address cross-border digital abuse. Development partners, including the African Development Bank, stand ready to support legal reform through technical assistance and policy dialogue.
2 Integrating online safety into digital and national development strategies
Despite investments in broadband infrastructure and digital skills, many information and communication technology strategies neglect online safety, especially the safety of women. Rwanda’s National Cybersecurity Policy shows how online safety can be integrated into the national development agenda. Governments should mandate “safety by design,” fund public education on digital rights, and embed digital safety into school curricula. Aligning technology investments with secure and inclusive policies will ensure that the digital economy benefits everyone.
3 Holding technology platforms accountable
While tech platforms benefit from African users, they often offer minimal culturally adaptive content moderation, limited grievance mechanisms, and inadequate protections for women. South Africa’s Film and Publications Board Amendment Act provides a benchmark for transparency, accountability and timely content removal. Africa needs a regional framework to set minimum safety standards, enforce content regulations, and create a real-time grievance redress system. As the platform expands across the continent, user safety must be a top priority.
4 Investing in survivor-led innovation and gender-sensitive digital solutions
African women are not just victims, they are also innovators creating technology-enabled solutions. Organizations like Policy in Uganda and the Information Technology Development Center in Nigeria are developing digital safety tools, training communities, and defending online rights. Targeted funding can scale up these efforts. For example, the African Development Bank’s Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation Trust Fund, in collaboration with UN Women, supports a project in Ivory Coast that empowers disadvantaged women and girls through education and digital technologies, improving their access to decent employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. Investing in survivor-led initiatives not only protects women, but also strengthens ecosystems for innovation and social change.
5 Build a pan-African data system on digital gender-based violence
You can’t solve what you can’t measure. There is currently no standardized continent-wide data on digital gender-based violence, and very little disaggregated national data. UN Women’s Women Count initiative shows how rigorous, gender-responsive data can drive policy change. Africa needs a continental strategy, underpinned by ethical data collection, gender-disaggregated indicators, and access to open civil society. Progress has already been made in capacity building of the African Development Bank’s Gender Data Portal (https://apo-opa.co/4aluszz), the African Gender Index Analysis Report (https://apo-opa.co/496KBqp), and the National Statistics Office. Scaling up these efforts will help policymakers and communities effectively respond to the scope and trends of digital gender-based violence.
call to action
Ending digital gender-based violence is achievable, but only if governments, technology platforms, funders and citizens take decisive action. Governments need to legislate and enforce laws, embed online safety into national strategies and invest in survivor-led initiatives. Technology platforms must prioritize user protection and accountability. Donors and development partners must fund gender-responsive innovation. And we all need to recognize that a safer digital Africa is not just a moral imperative, but an economic and social imperative.
Africa’s digital promise depends on women and girls being able to participate safely, freely and confidently. By taking bold and concerted action now, we can ensure that Africa’s next generation of innovators and leaders thrive in the digital space, protecting, empowering and uplifting them.
Ms. Jemima Nyuki, Director of Women, Gender and Civil Society, African Development Bank, and Ms. Ndei Ory Cole, Senior Program Manager.
