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Between November 25th and December 10th in 2025, we mark the annual 16 Days of Activism to advocate for collective action against gender-based violence (GBV).

This year, the theme is #NoExcuse for online abuse.

Every day, we see online abuse, from nasty comments on a TikTok video to hate crimes being filmed and posted online; it’s around us daily. But do we stop to think about the realities, the hate and hurt, behind our actions?

The statistics speak for themselves: 1 in 3 women experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime, and 16-58% of women and girls face digital violence (figure based on a culmination of different global studies).

I believe it’s important that we break down these topics, terms and what they mean. I’m a health activist, and I’ve done a lot of work around women’s health, which we know intersects with women’s rights, so I’ve been on my own learning journey too.

In 2023, I organised a Reclaim The Night Walk, which saw 80 people march through Cardiff City Centre in Wales to make it heard that we should not just feel, but also be safe on our streets. Anytime, anywhere, on and offline.

Now, what counts as digital violence?

According to UN Women, “Digital abuse or digital violence refers to any act that is committed, assisted, aggravated, or amplified by the use of information communication technologies or other digital tools, that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological, social, political, or economic harm, or other infringements of rights and freedoms.”

In other terms, it means using devices and the internet to harm another person, impacting many aspects of their life.

As our lives have moved online - especially since the COVID-19 pandemic - and with growing numbers joining social media every day with little accountability for negative actions, campaigners are calling for action.

They want stricter law enforcement to hold those carrying out digital violence online, better support for those affected through better funding for women’s rights movements, accountability for companies working in digital spaces to make it safer online (such as better response rates when you report a video or a comment) and a closer eye on preventative measures via methods such as online safety training to empower people to challenge harmful online behaviour.

Over the years, showing my journey on social media has come with many misogynistic and hateful comments, as well as inappropriate remarks about my body. This is something that so many activists face, and we are told that because we are public-facing and we choose to be online, then this is what we open ourselves up to. That should not be the case.

Earlier this year, I spoke on Capital and Heart Radio about the comments that I’d faced online and about how social media platforms need to do more to protect creators, even if it's just by listening to reports and taking down hate quickly with stronger consequences for perpetrators. Many comments reported often come back with not being seen to overstep community guidelines. As a women’s health activist, a lot of the content I put out is censored because it’s seen as inappropriate, but harmful and hateful comments are not, in many cases. This double standard defies logic and demands urgent review.

Why should we care?

Even if it doesn’t affect you personally now, it may well in the future, and it probably already impacts someone close to you. 

Online spaces are so prevalent and powerful, providing incredible ways to connect and practice creative expression. They break down barriers and build bridges between experiences, such as letting someone in a small town see what life’s like in a big city.  And most importantly, it reminds us that we’re not alone.

The good parts of the internet are what everyone deserves access to, without fear of this form of violence entering and changing lives for the worse.

Before you comment or post something, think about whether it could cause harm.