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Sixteen days of activism amid the rise of digital harm across Africa

December 23, 2025

The article examines the growing crisis of online violence against women journalists and public figures across Africa, particularly focusing on South African journalist Kgomotso Modise's experience with sexual harassment and threats. Cybercrime now represents over 30 percent of reported crime in West and East Africa, with women journalists facing coordinated attacks including doxxing, deepfakes, and threats that force many to self-censor or leave digital platforms entirely. African Union and European Union officials recently addressed digital violence as a security threat at their summit in Zambia, announcing initiatives including a convention on ending violence against women that prioritizes cybersecurity.

Who is affected

  • Women journalists across Africa, particularly in Kenya and South Africa (including Kgomotso Modise specifically)
  • Families of journalists, including children and spouses who are targeted in harassment campaigns
  • Women in political office and candidates seeking election
  • Ordinary African women users who participate in political and social discussions online
  • Public institutions and essential services targeted by cyber-related crimes
  • Society broadly through loss of press freedom and information access

What action is being taken

  • The African Union has created a network of women media professionals to counter misinformation and support survivors of online harm
  • The European Union and Kenya are engaged in a data adequacy dialogue to align Kenya's data protection standards with EU standards
  • The Digital Dada podcast is providing a platform for women journalists to speak openly about their experiences
  • Some journalists are deactivating social media accounts to protect their mental well-being
  • Platforms are removing harmful content (though the article notes this happens slowly)

Why it matters

  • This matters because online violence has become a systematic barrier to press freedom and women's participation in public discourse across Africa. When journalists self-censor due to fear of harassment, society loses access to diverse information and perspectives, jeopardizing freedom of information. The attacks represent coordinated efforts to push women out of journalism, politics, and civic engagement, threatening democratic participation and gender equality. As African countries rapidly digitize essential services and expand internet access, the failure to address online violence creates unsafe conditions that follow women from digital spaces into their homes and daily lives, undermining both individual security and broader social progress toward gender equity.

What's next

  • The African Union Women, Peace and Security Forum in Tunisia (held December 9-10) would address digital violence directly
  • Implementation of the African Union's first convention on ending violence against women and girls must place cybersecurity at the center
  • If the data adequacy dialogue succeeds, Kenya could become a trusted digital hub capable of processing sensitive data securely
  • Improving cybersafety requires stronger support services, better platform responses, clearer reporting mechanisms, digital literacy programmes (particularly for rural and low-income communities), consistent enforcement of existing policy frameworks with adequate resources, and regional cooperation to support better cybersecurity standards

Read full article from source: Global Voices