Sonali Maheshwari – Associate Director, Programs & Partnerships
Every year, the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence reminds us that gender-based violence remains one of the world’s most urgent and persistent human rights concerns. This year’s theme, “End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls,” is especially critical as our lives and opportunities shift dramatically into digital spaces. It calls on us to recognise emerging forms of harm and to take systemic action to ensure digital ecosystems are safe, just, and equitable for women and girls.
As India’s Digital Shift Accelerates, Are We Creating Opportunity or New Risks? India’s rapid digital transformation towards platform work, digital finance, e-governance, online learning, and tech-enabled workplaces has opened new avenues for women’s participation. Yet, as women step deeper into digital environments, their exposure to digital risks also intensifies. The same tools that unlock opportunity can amplify harm.
Global evidence reinforces this duality. UN Women notes that women and girls face uniquely gendered online violence, from image-based abuse and non-consensual content sharing to stalking and cyber sexual harassment. The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) reports that women disproportionately experience severe cyber violence, often with more profound psychological impact.
Indian studies mirror these findings. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) linked analyses show a sharp rise in cybercrimes against women such as blackmail, fake profiles, impersonation, and intimate image abuse. A recent International Journal of Novel Research and Development (IJNRD) study found 54.8% of women surveyed had faced cyber harassment, frequently involving morphed images or videos.
The message is unmistakable: digital gender-based violence is systemic, not incidental. And this expanding landscape of risk forces many women to retreat from digital spaces by restricting their participation in digital livelihoods, public discourse, professional networks, and social platforms. In effect, it slows the very empowerment that digital inclusion is meant to advance.
This makes the 2025 campaign theme profoundly relevant. Integrating women into the digital ecosystem without ensuring their digital safety is an incomplete promise. Digital inclusion without digital safety is not inclusion at all. The lack of gender-disaggregated cybercrime data further reveals how women’s digital safety is yet to be fully mainstreamed in national systems.
The growing challenge of digital abuse is fast, anonymous, and borderless and comes at a time when India is building strong policy momentum through multiple digital governance initiatives, including:
- Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 – consent, privacy, and data protection
- Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) – national cybercrime reporting and coordination
- Cyber Surakshit Bharat – cyber hygiene training for officials
- IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules, 2021 – platform accountability and user safety
- National Cyber Safety and Security Standards – safer digital infrastructure
- Digital Nagrik Suraksha Guidelines (proposed) – enhanced online safety, especially for women and children
These frameworks offer a strong foundation but they must be further strengthened with a sharper gender lens to address women’s distinct vulnerabilities and experiences. There remains a pressing need for stronger gender-responsive approaches having a balanced focus on behavioural readiness and system-level protections. Strengthening digital hygiene is essential. Equally important is safer digital identity management, which includes limiting personal information shared online, recognising impersonation risks early, and offering clearer guidance to women using digital tools for work—whether on WhatsApp groups, fintech applications, or workplace communication platforms. Women also need clear and accessible reporting pathways so they know where to seek help—be it the national portal, helpline, platform-specific reporting tools, or local support networks. These mechanisms must be complemented by workplace-level protocols across factories, farms, gig platforms, and corporate settings, with organisations embedding clear digital conduct guidelines, strong grievance redressal processes, zero-tolerance approaches to online harassment, and dedicated orientation sessions on digital risks for supervisors and male colleagues. Last but not the least, community and peer support networks remain vital, as women feel safer and more confident when they are backed by peer educators, SHGs, youth champions, and collectives who can serve as first responders and allies. At the systemic level, platform accountability and safety-by-design are non-negotiable.
At Upfront, we believe digital safety is inseparable from women’s rights, autonomy, and participation. Our work focuses on building digital safety awareness at the grassroots, especially among women, youth, small-scale farmers, and workers across textile, cotton, and spice supply chains. We strengthen digital literacy, help women identify online red flags, support safer digital identities, and connect communities to reporting mechanisms and helpdesks. Our approach centres on agency, ownership, and practical know-how so women can benefit from digital tools without fear.
The bottom line is clear that is safety must be built in, not bolted on. Women’s presence in digital spaces is essential to India’s progress, but their safety cannot be an afterthought. Unless digital ecosystems are intentionally designed to protect privacy, dignity, autonomy, and agency, women’s participation will remain unequal and vulnerable.
As we observe the 16 Days of Activism, we must recognise that ending digital violence is not just a policy priority but it is a prerequisite for true gender equality. Tell us, which changes or safeguards do you believe are most urgently needed to create safer digital spaces for women and girls? Your perspectives can help shape more inclusive and resilient digital ecosystems.
