LocationsStanding in solidarity with the 2025 - 16 Days of Activism - Theme “Unite to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls”.
December 2, 2025
Youth innovators demonstrating their ability to harness AI and technology-driven innovations at the Makerere Innovation Pod
Uganda joins the global community in marking the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, under the theme: “Unite to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls.” This year’s campaign shines a spotlight on a growing crisis of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). It is silencing women, eroding democratic resilience, and reversing hard-won gains in gender equality, at a time when digital transformation is meant to be a facilitator of societal transformation.
Under the leadership of the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General’s UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women campaign (UNiTE campaign) calls for global actions to increase awareness, galvanize advocacy efforts, and share knowledge and innovations.
UNDP youth beneficiaries equipping themselves with electric mobility expertise as they prepare for careers in sustainable transport and clean mobility.
Why Digital Violence Matters for Uganda
Digital transformation is reshaping Uganda’s economy and society, creating new opportunities for the youth, women and girls, for education, entrepreneurship, civic engagement and public participation. But without strong safeguards, it has the potential to also deepen exclusion and fuel gender-based violence. Online abuse, harassment, and image-based violence are pushing women out of digital spaces, limiting access to skills, economic empowerment opportunities, civic engagement, markets, and jobs.
The numbers tell a stark story:
Globally, 38% of women have experienced online violence, and 85% have witnessed it.
In Uganda, 75% of urban refugee women report online abuse, highlighting how fragile contexts multiply risks.
Digital violence is not just a gender issue - it is a human rights, democratic governance, and economic injustice. When women are excluded from digital spaces, Uganda loses talent, innovation, and growth opportunities. Closing gender gaps in lifetime earnings could add trillions to global wealth, but only if women are safe online.
UNDP Resident Representative Ms.Nwanne Vwede Obahor (Second left) joins fellow change makers during the “Strides for Change Walk” campaign
“Strides for Change Walk” at Makerere University
On the 24 September 2025, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) joined the Embassy of Sweden in Uganda, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Makerere University and Missions (Iceland, Austria, Netherlands and Denmark) for the “Strides for Change Walk” - an event that opened the 16 days of Activism Campaign and brought together diverse change-makers to also amplify the Women Uganda Campaign 2025. The walk served as a powerful call to action for safer, more inclusive digital spaces and reaffirmed the collective commitment of these institutions and their partners to a world free from digital violence against all women and girls.
Voices from the Event
Dr. Katja Yvonne Kerschbaumer - https://x.com/Dr_KatjaK/status/1993237452098806008?s=20
H.E Maria Hakansson - https://x.com/UNFPAUganda/status/1993265709405598014?s=20
Ms. Kristine Blokhus - https://x.com/UNFPAUganda/status/1992936143474868410?s=20
Ms. Nwanne Vwede-Obahor - https://x.com/NwanneObahor/status/1992942018847469676?s=20
Quote from H.E Maria Hakansson, Ambassador of Sweden to Uganda during the “Strides for Change Walk” campaign at Makerere University.
Quote from the Ms. Kristine Blokhus, the UNFPA Country Representative Uganda during the "Strides for Change Walk” campaign at Makerere University.
Quote from H.E Katja Yvonne Kerschbaumer, Head of Austrian Embassy and Development Cooperation Office, during the “Strides for Change Walk” campaign at Makerere University.
Quote from Ms.Nwanne Vwede Obahor, UNDP Resident Representative, during the “Strides for Change Walk” campaign at Makerere University.
UNDP Initiatives enhancing women and girls’ participation in the digitalization space
The UNDP Skills for Digital Jobs - Jobs of the Future Initiative is jointly implemented by UNDP Uganda and Refactory Academy Limited, aimed at addressing Uganda’s high youth unemployment by equipping women and youth with advanced digital competencies. The initiative prepares participants for in-demand roles in the digital jobs’ environment. Specifically, the initiative is strengthening the youth skills in the following areas: Data Science; Machine Learning; Artificial Intelligence; Cybersecurity; Software Engineering (Certificate & Apprenticeship); Cloud Computing; Blockchain Development, and Product Design – User Interphase (UI) and User Experience (UX). The initiative is structured around a three-phase model seeking to ensure that training directly translates into employability and entrepreneurship. The skills development model features: Foundational skilling, Applied apprenticeships, and Facilitated job placement.
Through the EU–UN Spotlight Initiative, UNDP is driving transformative change in Uganda by strengthening national systems to prevent and respond to Gender-Based Violence, ensuring survivor-centred services are accessible and effective. We are advancing legal and policy reforms to explicitly address technology-facilitated violence, closing critical protection gaps in the digital era. At the same time, UNDP partners with civil society organizations to counter online hate speech and misinformation, fostering safer, more inclusive digital spaces for women and girls.
Collaborations with Makerere University Innovation Pod and Kiira Motors Corporation are preparing students for careers in electric mobility and sustainable transport, while partnerships with Lwera Electronics and Semiconductors under the Industry 4.0 Initiative are building Uganda’s capacity in electronics manufacturing and innovation-led entrepreneurship. These programmes are laying the foundation for Uganda’s digital industrial revolution and positioning youth at the forefront of tech-driven growth.
Call to Action
This #16Days, let’s unite to make digital spaces safe for all women and girls in Uganda. Join the conversation using #NoExcuse and #ACTtoEndViolence. Together, we can ensure technology empowers - not endangers - women and girls.