Govt decries increasing digital spaces' hostility for women, girls

KAMPALA - Digital spaces have become increasingly hostile, especially for women and girls across Uganda, which has prompted renewed concern from the Government. 

Recent findings from the gender ministry show that nearly one in three female internet users has faced some form of online abuse, ranging from sexual harassment to stalking and the non-consensual sharing of personal content.

Authorities say the surge in online gender-based violence (GBV) is being driven by the rapid expansion of social media use, gaps in digital safety awareness, and limited enforcement of existing cyber-protection laws.

The ministry says social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp and TikTok, remain the most common platforms for harassment, and that a majority of victims choose to block perpetrators rather than report the incidents.

With the majority of respondents unaware of laws that protect against digital abuse, gender ministry officials are calling for stronger public education campaigns, improved reporting mechanisms, and closer co-ordination between government, technology companies, and civil society.

Digitally safe initiatives

Addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala on November 24, 2025, gender state minister Peace Regis Mutuuzo pledged on behalf of the Government to prioritise digital safety initiatives in response to the troubling trend.

She noted that the Government is co-ordinating efforts to criminalise and prohibit all forms of digital violence, especially against women, noting that the move will also ensure strengthening capacities of law enforcement to investigate and prosecute crimes for the accountability of perpetrators.

The minister also emphasised that the move would highlight the need for sex and gender-disaggregated data for effective policy development and impact assessment for prevention and response to GBV.

“As a government, we are stepping up efforts to ensure that digital spaces are safe for business connections, social networking and other related uses as opposed to harassment, as it has become a trend now,” Mutuuzo said.

 Mutuuzo was flanked by Nina Asiimwe, and Juliet Nakato Odoi from UN Women, a global agency that drives rights and empowerment of women and girls across the world.
Commenting on the matter, Asiimwe called on the general public to join the fight against online gender-based violence, something she said is silently killing a section of social media users.

Statistics

According to the recent survey carried out in 55 districts across all the regions of Uganda by the gender ministry, one in every three women who use the Internet reports having experienced some form of online gender-based violence.

The study found that sexual harassment is the most commonly reported form of abuse (approximately 42 %), followed by offensive name-calling at 24 % and stalking at 17 %.

Panic and isolation are common responses, with about 66 % of affected women saying they block or delete the perpetrator, while only 12 % formally report the abuse to the platform concerned, with half of those receiving no resolution. 

The survey further highlights that social media is by far the most prevalent site of abuse, with roughly 73 % of online gender-based violence incidents occurring on one major platform.

Meanwhile, an alarming 95 % of respondents say they are unaware of any laws or policies in Uganda that protect them from online gender-based abuse, and nearly 30 % do not know where to turn for support or information when targeted.

(L-R) Nina Asiimwe, UN Women, interacting with Peace Mutuuzo, State Minister for Gender and Juliet Nakato Odoi during a press conference at Uganda Media Centre on November 24, 2025. (Credit: Mary Kansiime)

Govt efforts

According to Mutuuzo, notwithstanding the persistent high prevalence of GBV in the country, the Government has prioritised the prevention and response to the vice and registered some progress through the multi-sectoral efforts, including collaboration and partnerships with civil society and development partners.

These, she says, have led to the reduction of GBV prevalence on key indicators such as physical violence from 56% in 2016 to 44% in 2022.

She also noted that sexual violence prevalence had also reduced from 26% in 2016 to 17% in 2022, and that men’s experience of domestic violence reduced from 44% to in 2016 to 34% in 2024.

“I can authoritatively say that we are doing better than a number of countries on the African continent in ensuring protection to GBV victims. We call upon the entire public to own this fight,” she said.

16 Days of activism

Mutuuzo was giving pre-emptying remarks about the slated national launch of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign against GBV, which she said will take place in Kasese district today (November 25, 2025). The campaign will be launched across different parts of the world.

The campaign was first started by activists at the inaugural Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and has since grown into a global campaign.

Globally, the 2025 Campaign will run under the theme, “Unite to end digital violence against women and girls.”

This year, therefore, marks the 34th anniversary of the campaign. In Uganda, the campaign begins on November 25 of each year, which is the International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women and runs up to December 10, which is the International Human Rights Day.

The National launch is running under the theme: Unite to End Violence Against Women and Girls: Empower, Consolidate and Sustain the Gains.

According to the minister, the national launch will kickstart with several activities, including the symposiums, launch event, knowledge fair, radio talk shows and media campaigns, among others.