Building Safer Digital Spaces: Tech-Facilitated GBV in the Age of AI

By Simbiat Amzat

The launch of the #16daysofActivism by Leading Ladies Africa on November 28, 2025, in partnership with TechHer NG, brought together women who live and breathe the fight for digital safety. I didn’t expect the conversation to hit me as deeply as it did, but from the moment the session began, I felt myself leaning in. I joined the webinar thinking I already understood tech-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), but by the end, I realised how much I had overlooked, how much I had normalised, and how much we still needed to confront.

The Invisible Violence of Algorithms

Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

 By Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

I recently sat down with Imoh from West Africa Democracy Radio (WADR) in Dakar to discuss an issue that is shaping the daily realities of women online: the invisible violence of algorithms. 

How Pop Culture Shapes Gender Norms

Ramatu Ada Ochekliye, Shades of Us Founder, with Ugonna and Titi on Kiss FM 99.9 Abuja 

By Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

On December 3 and 5, 2025, I joined Ugonna on Kiss FM 99.9 Abuja on behalf of Shades of Us to discuss How Pop Culture Shapes Gender Norms. The conversations were part of our continued commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, and they offered me the opportunity to expand on the stories, jokes, lyrics, and images we consume every day.

Beyond the Hashtags: What Happens After the Posts?

Photo by Walls.io on Unsplash

By Cynthia Umeh

Hashtags like #EndDigitalViolence and #UniteAgainstAbuse fill our feeds during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. We share posts, re-tweet powerful messages, and voice our support. But what happens after we hit “post”? Does the conversation stop when the hashtags fade from our timelines? The reality is that real change starts beyond the hashtags.

This Is What Online Safety Looks Like

Photo by Adem AY on Unsplash

By Atinuke Adeosun

Ever heard the saying “evil evolves”? It is painfully true. No matter how far humanity travels, no matter how many breakthroughs we celebrate or hard-won agreements we reach, those determined to harm always find new terrain. The internet and the smartphone — two of the most transformative inventions of our age — should have been pure gifts, widening opportunity, shrinking distance, expanding possibility. Yet in the hands of the worst among us, they have become megaphones for the kind of venom that used to hide in locker rooms, dim parlors, and back-alley whispers.

Media As A Tool For Ending Violence Against Women And Girls

Photo by mulugeta wolde on Unsplash

By Yecenu Sasetu

Vee was only 24 when she walked into a radio station, asking for help; all she needed was for someone to listen to her. She met someone on a social media platform. He was nice, handsome, and romantic, so she thought she had met the man of her dreams. He wasn’t rich, but he was comfortable and had great ideas for the future, and their conversations were focused on career and growth. Indeed, she had met her soulmate, or so she thought. 

UNiTE to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

Why This Fight Matters Now More Than Ever

By Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

Every year, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women forces us to pause and take stock of how far we have come and how much work still lies ahead. This year’s theme, “UNiTE to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls,” feels especially urgent. The online world has become an extension of our lives, and with all its promise has come new kinds of harm. For many women and girls in Nigeria, that harm is constant, unrelenting, and deeply personal.

Amplifying Voices Against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV)

Image by PAGED Initiative at the Amplifying Voices Against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Event

By Cynthia Umeh

On November 27, 2024, the Participatory Communication for Gender Development (PAGED) Initiative in partnership with Dorothy Njemanze Foundation (DNF) hosted a transformative discourse event at Cavic Hub, Abuja, themed ‘Speaking Out Against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and Its Impact on Girls’ Education’. This gathering brought together advocates, survivors, and key stakeholders to discuss actionable solutions for combating SGBV and empowering girls to access education without fear.

The Rise of Ritual Killings in Nigeria

Photo by Artsy Solomon on Pexels

By Atinuke Adeosun

Young Women Are Becoming an Endangered Species

Ritual killings have been a longstanding issue in Nigeria, but in recent years, these gruesome practices have taken a terrifying turn. Young women, especially, are increasingly becoming targets, with reports of their abductions, murders, and use in ritualistic practices growing alarmingly. These heinous crimes are often driven by the desire for wealth, power, and success — notions that are now being amplified by various factors, including the influence of social media and the harsh economic realities young Nigerians face.

'Rape for Grades'

Photo by Charlotte May on Pexels

by Grace Anaja

Rape for grades is a well-known phenomenon. It involves dangling academic grades in exchange for sexual favors.  Even if one party – in this case, the students – consents to trade sexual favors for improved grades, the power dynamics between the school’s employee and the student means that one cannot consent without the niggling fear that their refusal may mean failure. Thus, it is considered rape.

Red Card to 'Sextortion'

By Grace Anaja

We attended the RedCard2Sextortion Campaign launch and panel discussion organized by Devatop Centre for Africa Development and supported by the United States Embassy in Nigeria on December 9, 2022, at the Raw Materials and Research and Development Council, Abuja. The discussions aimed to highlight and address sexual violence to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).