16 Days of Activism 2025 – A Commonwealth Reflection
- Dr Hannah Nazri
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Each year from 25th November to 10th December the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence provides a space to reflect on the uneven progress across the world. The 2025 theme, “UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls”, is timely. It recognises that gender-based violence now takes place not only in homes, workplaces and communities but also in online spaces that shape how young people communicate, learn and work.
The evolving nature of digital violence
In my work as a clinician and researcher in obstetrics and gynaecology and women’s health advocate, I often meet women who describe harm that occurs both online and offline. The digital world can intensify existing vulnerabilities. Harassment, non-consensual image sharing, cyberstalking and coordinated abuse can occur rapidly and anonymously. These experiences affect confidence, employment, education and participation in public life. Digital violence is no longer a peripheral concern. It is now central to how women and girls navigate safety and autonomy.
The Commonwealth’s 56 member states have varied levels of digital access, infrastructure and regulation. Any effective response to digital violence must therefore take context into account. It is unlikely that a single model can be applied uniformly across countries without thoughtful adaptation to local needs and circumstances.
Education, literacy and meaningful participation
The Commonwealth Youth Gender and Equality Network (CYGEN) highlights that young people want education that is gender inclusive, practical and focused on rights. The 13th Commonwealth Youth Forum Declaration (CYF) echoes this. Young people want meaningful participation, digital inclusion and support to navigate new technologies. They call for increased access to safe digital tools and training, as well as responsible and equitable governance of emerging technologies.
I have seen in Malaysia and in the United Kingdom how gaps in digital literacy, consent education and access to accurate information can leave young women vulnerable. Education systems that focus only on academic content may overlook the skills that young people need for respectful relationships and digital citizenship. Prevention begins early and must include online safety, consent in digital and physical spaces, and awareness of harmful behaviours that may first appear on screens.
Harmful practices and the role of digital spaces
My advocacy and policy work on the medicalisation of female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) in Southeast Asia demonstrates how cultural practice, health systems and digital media can intersect. In my speech at the Home Office for the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM this year, I emphasised that advocacy must begin with local expertise. Approaches developed elsewhere can sometimes overlook local realities, and broad generalisations about womanhood or the experiences of women in the Global South may unintentionally reproduce paternalistic or externally imposed narratives.
Digital spaces increasingly shape these conversations. Misinformation about so-called ‘safer’ forms of female circumcision can circulate widely online, and in countries across Asia where legislation on FGM/C is limited or absent, some practitioners even promote these procedures openly on social media. Some young parents turn to online platforms for information about FGM/C, where the guidance they encounter may be incomplete, misleading or influenced by unregulated sources. At the same time, young women often seek sexual and reproductive health advice or share concerns in encrypted digital groups, which can provide privacy but also leave them vulnerable to inconsistent or unverified information. These dynamics illustrate how digital technologies can reinforce harmful practices while also providing avenues for questioning them. They also highlight the importance of digital literacy, trauma-informed healthcare and culturally informed advocacy.
Healthcare professionals must understand that harm may be physical, psychosocial or digital. Recognising digital abuse is now a relevant part of protecting the wellbeing of women and girls.
Institutions, AI, youth leadership and Commonwealth cooperation
The Commonwealth provides a platform for countries to collaborate on shared challenges. At the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, leaders acknowledged the growing importance of artificial intelligence and digital technologies for sustainable development. They committed to promoting ethical and inclusive use of AI, and to ensuring that women and girls can participate fully in the digital economy.
This commitment is significant. If AI is developed or deployed without gender considerations, existing inequalities may be reinforced. Algorithms can reproduce bias, exclude women from opportunities or allow new forms of digital harm. It is important that women, including young women, have a voice in designing, regulating and using AI. This includes representation in education, research, innovation and governance.
The CYF Declaration reinforces this by calling for youth involvement in shaping digital futures. Young people want to be active partners in policymaking, technology development and implementation. Their voices should be sought not only during consultation periods but as part of ongoing decision-making.
A practical view of the 16 Days campaign
Campaigns like the 16 Days can raise awareness, but progress depends on implementation. For the 2025 theme to make a difference, digital violence must be addressed through law, education, healthcare, industry standards and community engagement.
Key actions include:
Governments reviewing and enforcing laws on digital violence and protecting digital access for women and girls.
Education systems embedding digital literacy, gender equality and skills for safe online engagement.
Healthcare systems training staff to recognise and respond to digital harms.
Technology companies working with diverse young women to design safer platforms.
Men and boys participating actively in promoting respectful digital interactions.
Young women and girls leading digital initiatives and advocacy efforts.
Looking ahead
The 16 Days of Activism is an annual reminder of our collective responsibility. Digital violence is constant, cross-border and often hidden. Addressing it requires long-term commitment, context-specific leadership and cooperation across sectors.
I have met young activists across the Commonwealth who are determined to reshape the digital environment. Their energy, combined with institutional commitments from CHOGM 2024 and the priorities raised in the CYF Declaration, provides a strong foundation for progress.
Women and girls are not only recipients of harm. They are leaders, innovators and central actors in digital transformation. The 2025 campaign invites us to protect their digital participation, amplify their voices and ensure that technological progress does not leave them behind.
The 16 Days may last only a short period, but the work must continue throughout the year. Our goal is clear: a Commonwealth where every woman and girl can live, learn, work and engage online and offline without fear of violence.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr Hannah Nazri is a UK-based Malaysian obstetrics and gynaecology doctor dedicated to women’s health and reproductive rights. With experience in over 35 countries and leadership roles in global health organisations, she bridges medicine, academia, and advocacy. She is an Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society.
Website: https://hannah.nazri.org/
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Royal Commonwealth Society.