WCA kickstart 16- day campaign against gender based violence in Abuja

By Sadiq Abubakar, Abuja

As United Nations marks the world International day for elimination violence women and girls, the Women Community in Africa (WCA) a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) on Tuesday, commenced its 16-day campaign activism on Gender Based Violence (GBV) against Women and Girls in Abuja.

Speaking during its first day GBV campaign in Abuja, with the theme “Unite to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls,”Dr. Adetoun Dally, the Global President of Women Community in Africa (WCA), said violence against women and girls is not only a violation on human rights but also an assault on human dignity and a threat to the fabric of the society.

She said the ripple effects of violence weakens trust, erode compassion, dehumanize victims, and often result in long-term psychological trauma and, tragically loss of life.

She said the call to address the rising tide of online abuse such as cyberstalking, harassment, trolling, the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, and among others has become necessary for the purpose of the wellbeing of every society.

She, however, called on legislators of the national assembly to enact and strengthens laws that will protect women and girls online, adding that the law enforcement agencies should also prioritize digital abuse cases in order to ensure justice is served.

Dr Dally, who emphasised the need for technology companies to improve safety measures and accountability on their platforms and increase investment in prevention, also urged civil societies and other NGOs to increase advocacy and public education.

She also encouraged an end of the culture of silence which only continues to empower Abusers. We must awaken the collective desire to do better, to speak up, and to support survivors with empathy and action both online and offline.

“So as we commence the 16- days of activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) 2025, under the theme “Unite to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls,”the Women Community In Africa (WCA), also encourage an end of the culture of silence which only continues to empower abusers,”she said.

She stated that digital safety is not a luxury but, a necessity and a critical component of achieving gender equality in the 21st century.