Students in a group photograph
MTN Ghana has launched the 2025 edition of its 16 Days of Gender-Based Activism, with a renewed call to end digital violence against women and children.
Speaking at the launch, held in partnership with the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), the Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer of MTN Ghana, Adwoa Wiafe, highlighted the urgent need to protect vulnerable groups in an increasingly digital world.
She explained that this year’s campaign focuses on the theme: “Uniting to End Digital Violence Against Women and Children.”
She noted that as society shifts much of its interactions online, new forms of abuse—such as cyberbullying, online harassment, impersonation, and the sharing of harmful content—have become widespread and harmful, particularly to women and minors.
“We know about gender-based violence in its physical form, but today, as our lives move online, violence has followed us there. Cyberbullying and various online attacks are impacting women and children every day, and it is important that we speak about it openly,” she said.
She added that this year’s campaign, which places a strong emphasis on education and early prevention, will bring together both boys and girls to learn about online behaviour, cyber hygiene, and the legal implications of harmful digital conduct. Madam Wiafe noted that MTN will roll out similar awareness programmes across the country over the 16-day period, working closely with DOVVSU to intensify reporting, support victims, and promote safer online engagement.
The Director of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Owusuaa Kyeremeh, emphasised that digital violence is real, pervasive, and capable of causing long-term psychological and emotional harm—particularly to women and children. ACP Kyeremeh noted that as society becomes more digitally connected, young people are increasingly exposed to harmful online behaviour, including cyberbullying, hacking, impersonation, the circulation of explicit content, and other forms of technology-facilitated abuse.
The Director of Education at the Ghana Police Service, DCOP Benjamin Osei Addae, noted that such programmes play a vital role in equipping young people with the knowledge needed to navigate digital platforms safely and responsibly. He commended MTN and DOVVSU for collaborating on an initiative that promotes digital literacy and child protection, adding that such engagements should occur more regularly, rather than just once every few months.
By Prince Fiifi Yorke