In the rapidly evolving world of the twenty-first century, the definition of empowerment has undergone a profound transformation. Once measured primarily through access to education, economic opportunity, or civic participation, empowerment today increasingly depends on one’s ability to navigate and harness the power of digital technology. From proving one’s identity online to building entire businesses through artificial intelligence tools, technology has become the gateway to participation in modern society. The capacity to connect, create, and contribute now depends less on geography or traditional social structures and more on digital competence. Thus, it is fair to say that real empowerment today is digital empowerment, and the urgency of this realization is especially pressing for women, who stand both to gain immensely and to lose significantly in the unfolding digital future.
Recent experiences across different sectors of society reveal how deeply technology is embedded in our everyday lives. Consider, for instance, the process of verifying one’s identity or eligibility for pensions and social benefits. Tasks that once required physical presence and manual documentation are now increasingly digitized. In one striking example, an elderly retiree was recently asked to confirm his status as living by participating in an online verification process that used advanced biometric recognition. He was instructed to move his eyes to follow a virtual ball on the screen — a process that confirmed both his physical presence and his identity in real time. What might once have seemed extraordinary has become a normal expectation in the administration of public services. Digital literacy, even for older adults, has thus become not merely a convenience but a necessity for inclusion.
The same technological transformation is evident in education. Examinations that were once confined to supervised classrooms are now conducted online, monitored by sophisticated systems capable of detecting movement, background noise, and even eye patterns. These tools are designed to ensure integrity and fairness, yet they also demonstrate how sensitive and intelligent digital systems have become. They monitor not just the data we enter but our behavior, our expressions, and our surroundings. In such a world, the ability to understand, adapt to, and ethically engage with technology is fundamental to success. Those who lack digital fluency risk being excluded not only from opportunity but from basic forms of participation.
Entrepreneurship provides another powerful illustration. Around the world, individuals are building solo businesses, consultancies, and creative enterprises powered by artificial intelligence and online tools. From AI-assisted design and content creation to automated customer management, entrepreneurs now have unprecedented access to resources that once required large teams or significant capital. Digital tools have lowered barriers to entry and made it possible for one person — equipped with a computer, connectivity, and creativity — to build a global business. This democratization of opportunity is among the most significant shifts in modern economic history. Yet it also introduces new divides: between those who are equipped to use these tools and those who are not.
For women, this digital transformation presents both extraordinary promise and serious risk. Historically, women have faced barriers to education, technology access, and financial independence. Digital platforms can help bridge these gaps, offering flexible opportunities for learning, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Women can now access free online courses, market their skills globally, and collaborate across borders without leaving their homes. In many developing regions, digital financial services have given women control over income and savings for the first time. Artificial intelligence and automation can also reduce the burden of repetitive work, freeing time for innovation and growth.
However, these opportunities can only be realized through intentional empowerment. The digital revolution is not neutral — it reflects and can reinforce existing inequalities. Without access to devices, reliable internet, and relevant training, women risk being further marginalized. Moreover, bias in algorithms and data can perpetuate stereotypes and discrimination in subtle but harmful ways. Empowerment, therefore, requires more than connectivity; it demands awareness, skill-building, ethical frameworks, and inclusive design. True digital empowerment ensures that women are not merely users of technology but active shapers of it.
Governments, educational institutions, and civil society have a crucial role to play in this transformation. Public policy must promote universal digital access, affordable internet, and lifelong learning opportunities. Curricula at all levels should integrate digital literacy, not as a technical subject alone but as a foundational civic skill. For women and girls, targeted mentorship, scholarships, and community-based training programs are essential. Encouraging female participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields must remain a priority, as must supporting women-led startups and innovation hubs. When women participate equally in designing and governing technology, societies benefit from more diverse perspectives and more equitable outcomes.
At the same time, individuals must recognize their own responsibility in embracing digital empowerment. The world is changing too fast for complacency. Whether one is a professional, a student, a retiree, or a small business owner, continuous learning has become the new normal. Digital tools evolve daily, and adaptability is the defining skill of the era. Even simple interactions — like video calls, online payments, or secure authentication — are part of a larger digital ecosystem that shapes our identities and opportunities. Ignoring this transformation is no longer an option; participation is mandatory for relevance.
The ethical dimensions of this transformation also demand attention. As surveillance, data collection, and artificial intelligence become pervasive, societies must balance efficiency with privacy and rights. Digital empowerment must include the ability to protect one’s information, understand consent, and critically evaluate online content. Empowered digital citizens are not just technologically capable — they are also informed, discerning, and responsible. For women, who are often targeted by online harassment or misinformation, digital safety is a core component of empowerment. Building a culture of respect and accountability online is therefore essential for equality.
Ultimately, the convergence of technology and human potential is shaping a new kind of society — one in which access to the digital world determines access to power itself. The phrase “real empowerment today is digital empowerment” captures this truth succinctly. It reminds us that empowerment is no longer merely about rights or resources in the physical world; it is about agency, competence, and inclusion in the digital one. Every online identity verification, every virtual examination, every AI-assisted enterprise is part of a larger story of transformation — one that will define who participates in the future economy, who influences culture, and who leads.
As we look ahead, one thing is certain: no one can escape what is to come. Technology will continue to advance, integrating deeper into our personal, professional, and civic lives. The choice before us is whether to be passive observers or active participants in shaping that future. Digital empowerment is the means by which individuals — and especially women — can claim their rightful place in the next chapter of human progress. The tools are available; the challenge is ensuring that everyone has the knowledge, access, and confidence to use them. In the digital age, empowerment is not given — it is learned, earned, and shared.
Johnson Morrison Udobong
YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@johnsonudobong
Date: 09/11/2025

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a global campaign held annually from November 25th to December 10th, aimed at mobilizing individuals, institutions, governments, and communities to end violence against women and girls. The 2025 theme, “Protecting Girls from Online Digital Abuse,” recognizes the growing threat of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) and emphasizes the need to make digital spaces safe for women and girls. Advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have, unfortunately, facilitated TFGBV by enabling automated harassment, deepfake creation, targeted online exploitation, and surveillance, making digital abuse more pervasive and harder to detect. Technology-facilitated gender-based violence refers to harmful acts carried out using digital platforms, communication devices, or online systems. Although digital tools have opened opportunities for girls in education, communication, business, and leadership, they have also become spaces where harassment, intimidation, exploitation, and abuse occur. The image provided helps explain this issue by breaking it into several interconnected parts: perpetrator motivation, intent, behaviors, relationship context, mode, frequency, tactics, and the effects on survivors. These elements help us understand how digital abuse happens and why protecting girls online has become a major global priority.
1. Perpetrator Motivation – Why Online Abuse Happens
The picture identifies many motivations that drive perpetrators, and these motivations align directly with the realities of online abuse today. These include:
• Jealousy • Revenge • Anger • Sexual desire or entitlement • Political influence • Desire to maintain control or dominance • Financial gain • Defending social norms or reputation
These motives show that online abuse is rarely accidental. A boyfriend may post private images of a girl to punish her for ending a relationship. Anonymous strangers may attack a girl online for expressing political views. Influential groups may organize harassment campaigns to silence women who challenge societal expectations. At the center of these motivations is power and control, the same root cause of traditional gender-based violence. The 2025 16 Days theme recognizes that if these motivations are not challenged, digital spaces will continue to mirror the inequality and discrimination that women face in society.
2. Perpetrator Intent – What They Are Trying to Achieve
According to the image, perpetrators may intend to:
• Cause psychological harm • Cause physical harm • Control, punish, or silence women • Achieve social or personal goals • Enforce cultural or gender norms In many cases, abusers want to send a message: girls should stay silent, be submissive, avoid public spaces, or not challenge men’s dominance. Digital abuse is therefore not just personal—it is often an attempt to restrict girls’ freedoms. Linking this to the 2025 campaign, protecting girls online means ensuring that digital spaces do not become tools for reinforcing old systems of oppression.
3. Behaviors – How Digital Abuse Appears in Real Life
The picture presents several behaviors through which online abuse manifests:
• Stalking and monitoring • Defamation • Bullying and harassment • Sexual harassment • Online exploitation • Hate speech
These behaviors can happen through:
• Social media posts and comments • Private messages • Fake accounts • Edited or manipulated images • Public forums • Blogs or websites
For example, a girl outspoken about women’s rights may find hundreds of insulting comments targeting her gender, appearance, family, or sexuality. A student may be harassed on WhatsApp groups. A teenage girl may face pressure from older men sending sexual messages. These behaviors are designed to weaken self-confidence, damage reputation, and create fear.
4. Mode – Where the Abuse Takes Place The image lists multiple digital spaces where abuse can happen: • Social networking platforms • Communication tools (SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger) • Dating platforms • Online search histories • Browsing activities • Emails • Gaming spaces
Digital abuse is harder to escape because girls use many of these platforms daily. The focus of the 2025 16 Days theme is to ensure that all digital platforms—from schools to workplaces to social media—become supportive environments where girls can speak freely without fear.
5. Relationship – Who Commits the Abuse The diagram identifies different relationship types: • Personal – partners, ex-partners, relatives, classmates, colleagues • Impersonal – strangers, anonymous users, trolls • Institutional – organizations, political groups, authorities
This means girls are not only at risk from strangers online. A controlling boyfriend might monitor a girl’s conversations; a schoolmate might start a rumor online; an online mob may target a girl for posting her views. The 2025 theme emphasizes that systems must be built not just to punish strangers online but also to prevent abuse from people girls know and trust.
6. Frequency – How Often It Happens
Digital abuse may be:
• One-off • Constant • Daily • Occasional • Cyclic • Escalating
Because technology is always with us—on phones, tablets, and computers—abuse can become 24/7, removing the safety that victims might have offline. The constant nature of digital abuse contributes heavily to trauma and emotional exhaustion, another reason global action is needed.
7. Cross-Cutting Tactics
The image identifies dangerous tactics often used in online violence:
• Doxxing – sharing private information • Threats • Gender-based trolling • Impersonation • Image-based • Unauthorized access (hacking)
These tactics can destroy reputations, end relationships, threaten careers, and push girls out of public spaces. When someone shares a girl’s home address or sexually explicit images, the violence becomes not just psychological but physical and social. Tackling these tactics is key to the 2025 theme because many existing laws still do not adequately punish online offenders.
8. Impact on Girls and Women
The image shows four major categories of impact:
a. Psychological • Fear • Depression • Shame • Trauma • Anxiety • Low confidence
Online abuse can make girls afraid to speak, learn, or participate online, limiting opportunities for leadership and expression.
b. Physical There is often a link between online and offline harm. Stalking, monitoring, and doxxing can lead to real-world attacks. Girls may change their routines, feel unsafe at school, or live in constant fear. c. Social Abuse can damage: • Friendships • Family relationships • School reputation • Community respect
In many societies, girls face victim-blaming, further hurting their mental health and isolation.
d. Economic and Functional TFGBV can lead to:
• Loss of digital participation • Decreased academic performance • Lost business opportunities • Withdrawal from public life
If a girl stops using digital tools out of fear, she loses opportunities in education, employment, and social development. This is why the 2025 theme highlights digital participation as a right, not a privilege.
9. Coping and Help-Seeking Survivors adopt several coping strategies:
• Reporting abuse • Adjusting privacy settings • Seeking emotional support • Confronting perpetrators • Avoiding online platforms entirely
Unfortunately, withdrawal is the most common response, and that is exactly what perpetrators want—silence. The 2025 campaign calls on society to ensure that the burden does not fall on the girl alone, but that:
• Institutions respond quickly • Laws protect victims • Social platforms act responsibly • Communities stand with survivors
Closing Remark
The 2025 16 Days of Activism theme, “Protecting Girls from Online Digital Abuse,” recognizes that TFGBV is not about technology—it is about power, control, and inequality. The picture helps us see online violence clearly: from the motivations of perpetrators, to the tactics they use, to the emotional, social, and economic harm girls experience. While AI and other digital tools can empower girls through education and connection, they can also be misused to facilitate harassment, deepfakes, and targeted abuse. For digital spaces to truly empower girls, they must first be safe. Ending online abuse requires stronger policies, digital education, accountability systems, and a culture that supports and protects girls—not one that punishes them for speaking up.

Johnson Morrison Udobong
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@johnsonudobong
Date: 19/11/2025