By Justina Auta
The National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), in partnership with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has called for stronger measures to protect women and girls against digital Gender-Based Violence (GBV) nationwide.
The call was made during a one-day sensitisation programme in Abuja, marking the 2025 commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV.
The theme was: “Unite to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls.”
Mrs Edna Azura, National President of NCWS, highlighted the prevalence of online violence, describing it as a major threat to the dignity, safety, and advancement of women and girls in Nigeria.
Azura noted that while the digital space once promised empowerment, innovation, and inclusion, it had increasingly become a battleground where women and girls faced harassment, intimidation, and exploitation online.
“Cyberbullying, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, online stalking, digital blackmail, misinformation campaigns, identity theft, and hate speech are not just online problems, but real-life violations.
“It must be treated with the same urgency, seriousness, and collective action as any other form of gender-based violence. In this age of rapid digital transformation, protecting women online is critical.”
The NCWS President advocated for stronger policies, laws, and enforcement mechanisms to protect victims and hold perpetrators accountable, ensuring justice and safety for women navigating digital spaces in Nigeria.
“Together, we can build digital environments that are safe, inclusive, respectful, and empowering, where women and girls can thrive free from fear on the streets, in schools, at home, at work, and online,” she added.
Dr Emomotimi Agama, Director General of SEC, noted that 60 per cent of victims of online investment scams and digital impersonation in Nigeria were women and young people, highlighting financial risks in the digital space.
He said, “We meet women every day who lost their savings to online fraud or have been discouraged from participating in the financial system because of negative experiences.
“Too often, women become targets because of limited financial literacy or because fraudsters exploit trust and emotional vulnerability.”
Agama, represented by Mrs Ogwuche Jessie, Assistant Director of Market Development, said that in the last year alone, SEC reached more than 50,000 Nigerians to help them identify online scams before they occurred.
Mrs Comfort Ahuwa, News Editor, NCWS, encouraged mothers to monitor their children’s social media activity and educate them on ways to identify, prevent, and protect themselves against online violence.
Mrs Jamila Isah-Eneika, NCWS member and Founder of El-Meela Heritage Support Foundation, stressed the importance of involving men and boys in GBV awareness creation to ensure collective responsibility for reducing gender-based violence. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Abiemwense Moru
