The Chairperson of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Grace Ike, has called for stronger collective efforts to combat gender-based violence, including the growing wave of digital abuse targeting women and girls.
In a statement on Wednesday marking the start of the 2025 edition of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, Ike said this year’s global theme, “End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls,” highlighted the urgent need to confront online abuse with the same seriousness as physical violence.
She explained that the campaign, which runs from November 25 to December 10, aims to mobilise communities, institutions and policymakers to tackle all forms of violence and ensure safer physical and digital environments for women and girls.
Ike warned that digital violence, including cyberbullying, online harassment, threats, stalking, and the non-consensual sharing of personal content, has increasingly become a tool used to silence women and impede their participation in public life. She stressed that online attacks must be treated with the same urgency as offline assault.
“Violence against women and girls remains a profound violation of human rights and a barrier to sustainable development. It affects victims’ health, dignity, and freedom and fractures the social fabric of communities,” she said.
Recounting her personal ordeal during the NUJ FCT 2024 elections, Ike explained that she was subjected to targeted harassment and intimidation aimed at silencing her and undermining her candidacy.
“During the recent NUJ FCT 2024 election period, I personally endured targeted gender-based harassment and intimidation—attempts to silence my voice and undermine my candidacy through threats and derogatory attacks,” she said.
“This experience underscored how deeply ingrained and harmful gender-based violence can be, extending beyond physical harm to psychological, social, and digital oppression. It reinforced my resolve that no one should endure such abuse, and society must actively dismantle the structures that enable it both offline and online,” she added.
Ike reaffirmed the union’s commitment to year-round advocacy, stressing that ending all forms of violence against women and girls will require sustained collaboration among government agencies, civil society groups, community leaders and individuals.
The NUJ FCT Council urged the public to report incidents of violence, challenge harmful cultural norms, and support survivors. It emphasized the critical role of the media in amplifying victims’ voices, demanding accountability, and pushing for lasting reforms.
The council also called for stronger laws, better support systems for survivors, and clear policies to curb digital violence, noting that meaningful prevention requires continuous education and community involvement.
