Gaborone, Botswana: Picture this; you are searching for job opportunities online when a woman claiming to be a Motswana working abroad reaches out. She tells you how she found a job outside the country and shares a link through introducing you to an “agent.” You click, and instantly lose control of your social media accounts and Google Photos.

Moments later, intimate images you thought were private appear on your screen, now held by the scammer. They demand money and threaten to share the photos publicly. Panic takes over. You warn family, delete your accounts, and try to disappear online. The scammers eventually fall silent, but the fear doesn’t. Every message and unknown number feels like a threat.

This is Tsholo’s* reality. Her experience forced her offline entirely. She no longer trusts links or digital interactions, carrying the constant anxiety that her images may surface one day.

Stories like hers underscore the urgency of the global theme UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls. Digital violence is real violence — its emotional, psychological, and social harm can last long after the abuse ends. 

UNFPA continues working to protect the dignity and rights of women and girls online, building on initiatives like the Bodyright campaign, which asserts that personal images deserve the same protection as copyrighted material.

In Botswana, online spaces reflect broader gender inequalities. Technology-facilitated violence — from extortion and harassment to deepfake manipulation and AI-generated sexual content — is increasingly common. Adolescent girls face heightened risk, navigating school, friendships, and identity formation largely online. This constant connection exposes them to cyberbullying, coercion, sextortion, and intimate image abuse. The impact on mental health is profound, contributing to anxiety, depression, withdrawal, and declining school performance.

Protecting girls requires collective responsibility:

• Parents offering non-judgmental support,
• Educators teaching digital citizenship,
• Policymakers strengthening prevention and legal frameworks,
• Technology companies designing safer platforms.

Botswana’s Data Protection Act of 2018 prohibits sharing someone’s images or private information without consent. Legal tools are important, but social responsibility is just as crucial. By choosing not to forward leaked content, offering support to survivors, and reporting abuse, we can stop harm from spreading. Authorities such as the Botswana Police Cyber Forensics Branch are available to investigate online abuse, and reaching out for help early is a sign of strength.

UNFPA calls on all stakeholders to UNiTE to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls. Digital spaces must be safe, empowering places where women and girls — especially adolescents — can learn, grow, and thrive without fear.

*Names have been changed to protect the individual's privacy.