UN Women raises alarm over technology-facilitated GBV

The UN Women has raised the alarm over the increasing cases of technology-facilitated Gender-Based Violence. Ms Nyara Gumbonzvanda, Deputy Executive Director for Normative Support, UN Women, said this at a press conference over the weekend in Abuja. The press conference was on Gumbonzvanda’s high-level mission to Nigeria and commemoration of the 2025 16 Days of […]

The UN Women has raised the alarm over the increasing cases of technology-facilitated Gender-Based Violence.
Ms Nyara Gumbonzvanda, Deputy Executive Director for Normative Support, UN Women, said this at a press conference over the weekend in Abuja.
The press conference was on Gumbonzvanda’s high-level mission to Nigeria and commemoration of the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
Violence against women and girls remains pervasive in Nigeria, Gumbonzvanda said, saying attacks and abductions of schoolgirls highlighted the urgent need for safety in schools, homes, communities and online.
She said UN Women is committed to strengthening policy frameworks, enhancing digital safety, and promoting accountability for online harms in Nigeria.
“A critical area of concern remains technology-facilitated GBV, which is rising globally and nationally.
“Globally, one in three women experiences physical or sexual violence…Between 16 per cent and 58 per cent of women worldwide experience some form of online or technology-facilitated GBV, depending on the region.
“UN Women is supporting the government and stakeholders in strengthening policy frameworks, enhancing digital safety, and promoting accountability for online harms,” she said.
Gumbonzvanda also decried the low representation of women at the Nigerian National Assembly, which she said stood at only 3.8 per cent, far below the global average of 27.2 per cent.
While commending the National Assembly’s commitment to strengthening legislation that protects women and girls and advances women’s participation in governance, she called for the development of effective legal frameworks and inclusive governance.