Dr. Asmau Benzies Leo 
Every year, from 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women to 10 December, International Human Rights Day, the world observes the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Launched in 1991 by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership, the campaign mobilizes individuals and institutions worldwide to amplify efforts in ending violence against women and girls.
This year’s global theme is tagged “UNITE! Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls: End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls.”
It emphasises the urgent need for sustainable investment in prevention and protection mechanisms, particularly against the alarming rise in technology-facilitated violence, alongside traditional forms of abuse.
Violence in Nigeria: A Persistent Crisis
For Nigeria, this campaign is more than symbolic. It is a stark reminder of widespread injustice. According to the 2018 National Demographic and Health Survey, 3 in 10 Nigerian women have suffered physical violence, while 1 in 4 have experienced sexual violence. Rape, early marriage, harmful widowhood rites, human trafficking, intimate partner violence, and economic oppression continue to affect millions.
Recent abductions of schoolgirls, cases of domestic killings (femicide), and rising reports of assault in conflict-affected regions further prove that women and girls face mounting risks to their security and dignity.
Sadly, the impact stretches beyond physical harm. Today, abuse can take place without physical contact , through a screen, a message, or an image.
The Emerging Threat: Digital and Technology-Facilitated Violence
In an increasingly connected Nigeria, digital platforms have become new arenas of abuse. Women and girls now routinely face:
- Cyberbullying, trolling and misogynistic hate speech
- Online stalking and surveillance
- Non-consensual sharing of intimate images
- Sextortion and blackmail using digital messaging platforms
- Identity theft, impersonation and digital profile attacks
- AI-generated *deepfake* content used to shame or silence women
Young women, student leaders, journalists, politicians, activists, and even school girls are increasingly exposed to harassment online. Technology is now used to enable, amplify, and conceal gender based violence, making it harder to trace perpetrators.
Policy Efforts: Progress and Gaps
Nigeria has taken commendable steps with the domestication of the VAPP Act (2015), Child Rights Act, Cybercrime Act (2015), and National Gender Policy. However, full implementation is lacking and enforcement remains weak where it exists. Reporting is slow, stigma persists, and digital safety regulations are underdeveloped.
Civil society organizations such as the Centre for Nonviolence and Gender Advocacy in Nigeria (CENGAIN) are making progress through advocacy, referral pathways, and survivor support. Yet without major government and private sector investment, these efforts cannot be scaled or sustained.
Strategic Actions Nigeria Must Take
1. Scale Up Prevention and Advocacy
Mass campaigns, school curriculums, and community dialogue on GBV and digital safety must be fully funded and implemented nationwide.
2. Strengthen Legal Frameworks and Enforcement
Enforcement of the VAPP and Cybercrime Acts must prioritise digital GBV. Fast track court processes and train law enforcement on tech-based abuse.
3. Establish Safe Reporting Systems
Mobile apps, helplines, and digital response centers should be survivor-centered and accessible nationwide, including rural areas.
4. Support Survivors Holistically
Expand shelters, psychosocial support, medical services, digital forensic assistance, and legal aid.
5. Promote Economic and Digital Empowerment
Access to tech, entrepreneurial support, and cybersecurity education empowers women to prevent and respond to abuse.
6. Engage Men and Boys as Advocates
Male champions must help promote positive masculinity and accountability, online and offline.
7. Invest in Data, Technology & Innovation
Utilise digital tracking systems, AI-powered monitoring tools, and survivor mapping to guide policy action.
Gender-based violence whether physical or digital, is a violation of fundamental human rights and a threat to Nigeria’s peace, security, and development.
This year’s call to action is clear, we must UNITE! From Government, Private Sector, Development partners and communities must Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls, End Digital Violence Against Women and Girls. Through awareness campaigns to accountability, from protest to protection, Nigeria must lead Africa in the fight against GBV in all its forms. When we protect women, we secure families. When we invest in girls, we invest in Nigeria’s future.
Dr. Asmau Benzies Leo is a development practitioner with extensive national and international expertise in gender equality, peace-building, governance, and humanitarian action. She holds a PhD in Public Governance and Leadership, a Master’s degree in Conflict Management and Peace Studies, and executive certifications from leading institutions including Howard University, Harvard University and Glasgow Caledonian University. As Executive Director of the Centre for Non-violence and Gender Advocacy in Nigeria (CENGAIN), she has led ground-breaking advocacy initiatives on women’s political participation, gender-based violence prevention, and security sector reform across multiple World Bank, UN and EU-supported projects.