By Murniati Abu Karim
Photos by Izwan Azman
BANGI, 10 December 2025 – Digital spaces that were created to empower and connect people have now become sites of harassment and abuse for women and girls. Fueled by anonymity, women are often subjected to digital harms ranging from cyberstalking to online grooming.
According to Deputy Vice-Chancellor Industry and Community Partnerships Affair Prof Dr Bariah Mohd Ali, recent studies indicate that more than 30 percent of young women and girls experience digital violence as they spend increasing time online for education, work, and social interaction.
She added that violence against women and girls whether physical, emotional or digital remains one of the most pervasive human rights violations globally.
“The harm inflicted in digital spaces has very real consequences psychological distress, reputational damage, withdrawal from opportunities and in severe cases, self-harm.
“Too often, digital violence is dismissed as ‘less serious’ It is not.
“It erodes confidence, silences voices, and denies women their right to participate safely in digital environments,” she said.
Prof Dr Bariah noted that ending digital violence against women and girls requires sustained and collective effort.
“No single institution, organisation, or government can address this issue alone. However, through coordinated and multidisciplinary action, it is possible to dismantle the structures that allow this violence to persist.”
“We must strengthen digital literacy and online safety education, gender-responsive policies, clear and confidential reporting mechanisms, trained personnel who respond with empathy and professionalism.
“We also need campus-wide zero- tolerance practices, research that drives policy and protects survivors, collaboration with technology platforms, policymakers and NGOs to ensure safer digital environments,” she said.
This pressing issue was addressed through a multidisciplinary forum titled “Unite to End Digital Violence Against Women and Girls: A Multidisciplinary Perspective”.
The forum was held in conjunction with the 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence, observed from 25 November to 10 December 2025.
It was organised by the Tun Fatimah Hashim Women’s Leadership Centre, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, and SUKMANITA UKM.
