16 Days of Activism: confronting violence against women, online and off
As the annual global campaign begins, UN figures show almost one in three women experience violence — and abuse is increasingly moving onto screens.
Marylyn Marthins
Chief Editor
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Each year from 25 November to 10 December, the world marks the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. The 2025 campaign focuses on digital violence — abuse that follows women onto their phones and screens.
The scale is staggering. UN figures indicate almost one in three women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence, and in 2024 roughly 50,000 women and girls were killed by partners or family members — one every ten minutes.
Online harms are rising too: surveys suggest more than a third of women have personally experienced digital violence, with journalists, activists and public figures especially targeted.
Legal protection lags badly, with fewer than 40% of countries offering laws against cyber harassment or stalking — leaving many survivors without recourse.
For migrant and diaspora women, isolation and unfamiliar systems can deepen the danger. DCTV treats this as core public-interest journalism: breaking silence, sharing support and defending the rights of women and children.
