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Calls for safer online spaces
From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
As the global community marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the Director General of the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC), Rinsola Abiola, has raised concern over the surge in digital gender violence, warning that online abuse is increasingly threatening women’s safety and limiting their participation in public life.
Abiola made the call as the global community marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the start of the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
In a statement to commemorate the campaign, she reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to combating all forms of violence, especially the growing wave of digital attacks targeted at women and girls.
Aligning with this year’s theme, “UNITE! To End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls,” she described the message as timely, noting that gender-based violence has now taken root in online spaces where millions of Nigerians interact, learn, work, and express themselves.
She warned that digital violence, including cyberbullying, online harassment, hate speech, and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, has become a major threat to the safety and public participation of women and girls.
“Digital violence is a profound failure of citizenship,” Abiola said. “It strips victims of their dignity, silences women’s voices in public discourse, and undermines the health of our democracy. Responsible citizenship in the 21st century must extend into the digital realm.”
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She emphasised that the CLTC, whose mandate focuses on grooming responsible citizens and shaping future leaders, considers the online environment an essential space for modern leadership. According to her, true leadership is “power used for protection,” and the misuse of digital platforms to intimidate or harass others contradicts the values of discipline, patriotism, and empathy that the Centre teaches young Nigerians.
“We must teach our young people to be architects of safe, inclusive digital communities, not contributors to digital decay,” she said.
Reaffirming the Centre’s readiness to confront digital gender-based violence, Abiola outlined several commitments: continued integration of digital citizenship and ethics into the CLTC training curriculum, targeted advocacy to challenge the impunity often associated with online abuse, and stronger collaboration with technology stakeholders to promote online safety and support protective policies.
She also urged Nigerian youths, who form a significant portion of online users, to take active roles in ending digital violence by speaking up against harmful content, encouraging respectful engagement, and helping to create safer virtual spaces for women and girls.
“As we observe these 16 days, let us unite to end digital violence and build a future where every woman and girl can participate fully and without fear,” Abiola said.
