As Rwanda and the world conclude the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV)”, and quickly move into the festive season, it is an opportune time to reiterate the need for all key stakeholders to continue to ensure that the struggle to stem the tide of GBV in our societies extends beyond this global commemoration. In fact, the efforts to address GBV cannot be a seasonal affair, as evidence has shown that this societal menace can occur at any time, season or place. The proactive leadership move by Rwanda’s Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion working with its partners, including UNFPA, to focus this year’s theme on ensuring GBV-free families in Rwanda, is not only a testament to the political will within the government to address GBV in the country, but it also emphasizes the fact that we cannot eliminate GBV in our societies without addressing GBV in our homes, the family, being the most important unit in our communities. It is therefore based on this premise, that UNFPA and other partners, under the leadership of the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, led efforts to launch a campaign targeting this rapidly growing concern: Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV). While this is a global phenomenon, it is important to raise awareness of this increasingly prevalent use of technology to facilitate GBV beyond our borders. This can potentially affect any family, even in the glow of Rwanda’s festive season, when families share celebrations and memories online. We need to recognize the presence of this shadowy phenomenon that lurks in our digital spaces. TFGBV has existed for a long time globally, but the rapid technological development that the world is experiencing today, including the adoption of digital tools in our routine activities of daily-living, has made this platform an increasingly significant avenue for the perpetration of GBV. It is even more concerning as it often provides a shield for the perpetrators beyond the geographical jurisdiction of national law enforcement systems. TFGBV is silently sweeping across our digital landscape, targeting individuals based on their gender through the very technologies meant to connect us. It manifests in many forms, from relentless online harassment and venomous misogynistic rhetoric to menacing cyberstalking and the devastating spread of intimate images without consent. This kind of digital violence has been shown to be massive in scale. A sprawling study by the UNFPA across 18 countries reveals that nearly 60% of women have faced at least one form of technology-facilitated GBV. The regional breakdown is even more shocking. For example, nine in ten women across Latin America and Africa reported having experienced TFGBV. In the same vein, a 2024 study by Rutgers International, titled 'Decoding TFGBV', that was conducted across seven countries - Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda—reveals alarming rates of online harassment, with prevalence reaching 49% in Uganda and 40% in South Africa. This shows the global spread of this societal menace in Africa and beyond. It is quite reassuring to note that the Government has already put in place frameworks to provide an enabling environment for tackling TFGBV in the country. From putting in place a cybersecurity law and policy to the establishment of a National Cybersecurity Authority to lead the government's efforts to curb this menace in our society. However, the fight against TFGBV must transcend government efforts alone. The most effective approach to combating the scourge of TFGBV is a ‘whole of society-approach’, where citizens understand their roles in complementing the government's efforts to ensure a GBV-free society in the country. This also places additional burden on all duty-bearers in the society, including our development partners, to ensure that there is adequate information and knowledge about TFGBV so that people can identify and prevent all attempts to use technology to harm our people, especially women and girls, irrespective of their location or place in the society. This call is in line with the recent efforts by the Rwanda Investigation Bureau to remind the people, especially internet users, of the need to be aware of the menace of TFGBV that can manifest as cyber-bullying including cyber-stalking, violation of privacy, and other forms of online harassment. The Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion led groundbreaking campaign against TFGBV that was conducted in collaboration with UNFPA, is not just a response to this growing global threat to everyone, especially women and girls, but a recognition of the need to ensure there is no viable place for digital violence, or any form of GBV to thrive in Rwanda at large, and in our families, in particular. The campaign's online and face-to-face engagements with different members of society proved particularly enlightening. While Rwanda's youth embrace digital connectivity, many remain unaware of how supposedly harmless posts, especially during the festive seasons where many are sharing happy memories through digital means, can become weapons in the hands of digital predators. Yet, our campaign brought hope. The unprecedented collaboration between media outlets, artists, and government institutions demonstrated Rwanda's collective commitment to creating safer digital spaces. The media’s extended coverage and the engagement of influential voices amplified our message far beyond initial expectations. Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion’s involvement particularly resonated with young girls and women, who constitute a significant part of our digital citizens. Looking ahead, we must build on this momentum. Under the leadership of Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, Partners can support capacity development of key stakeholders including the media and institutional partners to complement ongoing government efforts to develop and tailor solutions that will continue to promote digital safety education. This festive season, as we share our joy online, let's remember that digital safety is as crucial as physical security. Simple precautions can make a difference. For example, reviewing privacy settings, being selective about sharing location information, and staying alert to suspicious online behavior are some of the precautions we can take as individuals. But beyond individual actions, we need a collective commitment to creating a digital environment where everyone, especially women and girls, can participate without fear. That is why we also call on the private sector, particularly technology companies, to step up their role in creating safer online spaces for all users, especially putting in place measures that will prevent the use of their platforms for the perpetuation of TFGBV. Our campaign has laid a foundation to bring this issue to the front burner, but the real work begins now. As Rwanda continues its digital transformation, ensuring online safety must become as natural as our traditional values of respect and dignity. Our message is clear: in both physical and digital spaces, everyone deserves to celebrate without the fear of technology-facilitated Gender Based Violence. Compliments of the Season! Dr. Olugbemiga Adelakin is the UNFPA Representative in Rwanda.
