Mogadishu (Somalia Today) — The United Nations in Somalia has called for concerted action to curb online abuse and harassment of women and girls as the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign begins.
In a statement marking the start of the 2025 campaign on November 25, the world body warned that digital spaces are becoming a major frontline of gender-based violence and urged Somali authorities and technology companies to respond.
“Creating a safe and respectful digital environment for all women and girls requires collaboration between the government, tech companies, donors, and civil society,” stated James Swan, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia.
Without that collective effort, he cautioned, online abuse will continue to silence women’s voices and can spill over into physical harm.
Legal gaps
The UN stressed that Somalia’s current legal framework contains serious gaps on offences committed online and crimes rooted in gender-based discrimination. It urged lawmakers to adopt new legislation and harmonise existing laws so they reflect “digital realities” and give prosecutors explicit tools to tackle online violence.
“The United Nations urges the adoption of laws to close critical gaps in the legal framework, which currently lacks explicit provisions addressing online and gender-based offences,” Mr. Swan emphasized.
He added that judicial and law-enforcement institutions must be strengthened so they can investigate, document and prosecute offences that take place on social media platforms, messaging apps and other digital channels.
UN officials underline that the goal is to move beyond awareness-raising alone and ensure abusive conduct online carries real legal consequences, whether it involves harassment, threats, non-consensual sharing of images or coordinated campaigns of intimidation.
Digital violence
This year’s global theme for the 16 Days campaign — UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls — highlights the rapid growth of abuse in online spaces and the urgent need to make them safer, particularly for women and girls who already face high risks of violence and discrimination.
The broader campaign runs every year from November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to December 10, Human Rights Day.
Guidance from UN Women notes that digital abuse now ranges from doxxing and online death threats to deepfakes and spyware, and that many countries still lack specific laws covering technology-facilitated violence.
During the 16-day period in Somalia, the UN will work with the Federal Government, Federal Member States and civil society organisations to highlight the need to end digital gender-based violence.
Planned activities include public advocacy, community dialogues and media campaigns that challenge harmful online behaviour, promote personal responsibility in digital spaces, support victims and encourage people to speak out against online violence.
Global milestones
This year’s campaign is part of global initiatives marking Beijing+30, the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, widely described as the most comprehensive plan ever agreed to advance gender equality.
It also coincides with the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, which recognised the distinct impact of conflict on women and girls and called for their full participation in peace processes.
The resolution remains a cornerstone of the UN’s women, peace and security agenda, UN Women notes.
UN representatives in Somalia argue that tackling digital violence is integral to these commitments. They contend that online harassment, deepfakes and targeted hate not only threaten individual safety but also deter women from engaging in public life, politics, journalism and peacebuilding.
Somali context
Women’s rights advocates in Somalia have increasingly warned that online platforms can amplify threats, smear campaigns and intimidation, especially against journalists, activists and public figures.
A new report titled “Targeted Online, Unsafe Offline – Gender-Based Violence and Impunity Against Women Journalists in Somalia” documents escalating abuse and calls for stronger legal protections, according to the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ).
The International Federation of Journalists has echoed those concerns and urged Somali authorities to protect women media workers from harassment and intimidation, including in digital spaces.
UNESCO has likewise highlighted rising online attacks on Somali women journalists and demanded an end to impunity in a recent feature on gender-based violence online.
Against this backdrop, the UN’s 16 Days message calls for a coordinated response involving justice, security and communications ministries, mobile operators, social media platforms and local community groups.
The approach includes better digital literacy, clearer reporting mechanisms, accessible support services for survivors and safeguards to protect freedom of expression while enforcing the law.
The 16 Days of Activism campaign in Somalia began on November 25 and will run until December 10, mirroring the global timetable.
UN officials hope the period will serve not only as a moment of awareness but also as a starting point for concrete reforms that make Somali digital spaces safer for women and girls long after the campaign ends.
