Tarr Town, Monrovia, December 4, 2025 – Far too often, people find their social media and professional accounts hacked, tapped, or manipulated, and in many cases, they are even scammed. These attacks put their personal information, safety, and dignity at serious risk.
This isn’t an issue faced only by those with limited digital skills. Professionals, too, fall victim. But the reality remains: girls and women are disproportionately affected.
To help young people better protect themselves from digital abuse and online violence, 295 applicants, mostly young women who make up 82% and boys will participate in ActionAid Liberia’s one-day Digital Safety Awareness Session as part of the 16 Days of Activism. With support from inspiring speakers, participants will gain essential skills to navigate the digital world safely and confidently.
Our facilitators will cover powerful, practical topics, including:
Understanding Digital Violence, definitions, forms of digital abuse, platforms where it occurs, building a safe and positive digital identity, recognizing early warning signs, and preventing risky online behaviors. (Presented by Mr. Adolphus T. Gblorso, Local Leadership Capacity Strengthening Manager, Catholic Relief Services Liberia)
Protecting Girls’ Digital Presence, strengthening social media security, creating strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and safeguarding online platforms. (Presented by Ms. Lisa Diasay, President, Female Journalists Association of Liberia)
Through this training, young people will gain the knowledge and confidence they need to stay safe, protect their digital identities, and stand strong against online abuse.
According to statistics from the United Nations Women and the World Bank Gender Brief, 16 to 18% of women face digital violence, while 90-95% of all deepfake videos are images of women.
Digital abuse and violence have become a new silent trend of abuse that is leaving many girls and women victimized, and often, they get no legal redress and have no option but to live with the pain and stigma. ActionAid Liberia Women’s Rights Manager Markonee Knightly said.
This digital safety awareness is part of the many activities commemorating this year’s 16 Day of Activism that is being celebrated under the global theme “Unite to end Digital Violence Against All women and Girls.”
While the national theme is “Unite to end Violence: Protecting all Women and Children in our Communities and Digital Space.”
The goals and objectives of this digital effort are to: empower and educate urban young women, young people and persons living with disabilities as well as young boys with knowledge on cyberbullying, cybersecurity, protecting social media platforms, and digital safety.
According to ActionAid Liberia Women Rights Manager, Markonee Knightley, the symposium will also provide them with practical tools, digital security tips, and a reporting mechanism that helps young women protect themselves online and build confidence in digital spaces and then raise awareness in communities and mobilize action against digital violence, among other things.
The event is expected to also bring together scores of guests from the civil society and NGO sectors, such as the Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL), Community Development Experience (CODE), ActionAid Liberia Child Rights Ambassador, Little Angie Sackey, who is popularly known as Little Niki and scores of NGOs executives.
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