As the world marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 2025, First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, emphasised the urgent need to address both offline and online violence targeting women and girls.
According to the UN, the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence runs each year from 25 November to 10 December, linking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women with Human Rights Day.
In a statement posted on her official X account on Tuesday, Tinubu expressed concern over the growing and often invisible threat of online abuse, harassment, extortion, and exploitation of women and girls.
“Today, Nigeria joins the world to mark the day with the theme ‘UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls. This important theme speaks to the urgent need to address a growing and often invisible threat of online abuse, harassment, extortion and exploitation of women and girls.
“Digital spaces should foster genuine human connection, facilitate learning, and promote productivity, not fear. Yet, too many women and girls face bullying, blackmail, stalking, and gender-based hate online. This is unacceptable,” she said.
Tinubu stressed that violence in any form, offline or online, undermines the dignity, safety, and potential of women and girls.
According to the World Health Organisation, updated data show that nearly one in three women globally has experienced intimate partner or sexual violence in their lifetime, a figure that has remained largely unchanged since 2000.
About the Author
