African trade unions raise alarm over upsurge in digital violence on women

*ITUC-Africa declares war on digital gender violence

*Says digital harassment new frontier of violence against women

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has raised a major alarm over the rising wave of digital violence targeting women and girls across the continent.

The organisation warned that online abuse has swiftly become one of the most dangerous and rapidly expanding forms of gender-based violence, threatening women’s dignity, safety, and participation in public life.

Marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the launch of the global 16 Days of Activism, ITUC-Africa said technology-enabled violence is escalating at an unprecedented rate, penetrating homes, workplaces, and digital spaces where women should feel safe.

The organisation stressed that digital harassment is now a key barrier to women’s involvement in labour rights advocacy, political engagement, and economic activities.

According to the body, African women workers—from domestic workers to agricultural labourers, platform workers, and women in the informal economy—are increasingly exposed to acts of intimidation, sexual harassment, cyberstalking, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, and other technology-facilitated abuses. ITUC-Africa described this trend as a new frontier of violence that urgently requires strong legal and institutional intervention.

In a statement, ITUC-Africa General Secretary, Akhator Joel Odigie, said: “This year’s UN theme, ‘UNiTE to End Digital Violence against Women and Girls,’ could not be more timely as we witness the alarming rise of technology-enabled abuse that transcends borders and invades the most private spheres of women’s lives.

“Digital violence—including cyberstalking, online harassment, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, doxing, and technology-facilitated abuse—has become a serious threat to women’s safety, dignity, and participation in public life.”

The organisation also highlighted that the rapid expansion of internet access in Africa, coupled with increased digitalization of work during the COVID-19 pandemic, has exposed women to new forms of surveillance, control, and exploitation within online platforms. Women activists and trade unionists advocating for fair labour practices are said to be particularly vulnerable to coordinated online attacks aimed at silencing their voices.

ITUC-Africa said the expansion of platform-based work—especially in domestic and care sectors—has created conditions where women face both algorithmic discrimination and abuse from faceless clients. Many of these workers, the statement observed, have limited or no avenues for reporting digital harassment or seeking justice.

The organisation called on trade unions to strengthen workplace protections by integrating gender-based violence prevention into collective bargaining agreements and by ensuring women’s full participation in union structures. It stressed that women’s leadership is vital for confronting the gendered challenges emerging from digital spaces and the world of work.

Reaffirming its stance, ITUC-Africa declared its unwavering commitment to ending all forms of violence against women and pledged to intensify its campaign for the ratification and full implementation of ILO Convention 190, the global standard for eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work.

The group urged African governments to adopt tough legislation that criminalizes all forms of gender-based violence—including digital abuse—and ensure women’s safe access to digital technologies. It also called for the extension of labour protections to informal, domestic, and agricultural women workers who often remain unprotected under current national laws.

ITUC-Africa emphasized that violence against women—whether physical, digital, or economic—is a societal problem requiring collective action. It maintained that protecting women’s labour rights and economic empowerment is central to preventing abuse and ensuring gender justice across the continent.

The statement urged individuals, communities, and institutions to challenge harmful norms, support survivors, and work together to end all forms of violence against women.

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