KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 – In a show of unity and global partnership against the blight of digital violence against women and girls, the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Malaysia have launched the 2025 commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW), in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications.
The event, held at the iconic KL Tower on November 25, also marked the beginning of the global 16 Days of Activism under the theme “UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls”.
The evening convened a high-level assembly of policymakers, civil society leaders, activists and members of the media to address a critical turning point in the safety of women and girls in Malaysia.
With incidents ranging from femicide and sexual violence in schools to the proliferation of deepfake pornography, the event highlighted that these are not isolated tragedies, but symptoms of a systemic crisis now amplified by technology.
Robert Gass, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, opened the evening’s proceedings by framing the urgency of the crisis.
He warned the audience that the distinction between online and offline harm has collapsed, stating: “The boundaries between physical and digital worlds have all but disappeared, and with it the false comfort that online harm is somehow less real.
“Digital violence, or Tech-Faciliated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV), is now one of the fastest-growing forms of violence today.
“It exists on a continuum with physical violence. The harassment a girl experiences in her school corridor can be mirrored, magnified and manipulated online through cyberstalking, unauthorised surveillance, doxxing and the non-consensual distribution of intimate images.”
Gass further highlighted the alarming gender disparity in the misuse of emerging AI technologies, noting that: “Recent analyses estimate that roughly 90 to 95 per cent of all online deepfakes are non-consensual pornographic images, with around 90 per cent of these depicting women.”
He also expounded on the effects of violence on women’s health, wellbeing, and public participation, citing also its broader societal implications.
“Violence steals women’s voices, it limits their public leadership, it narrows their possibilities, and when half the world is silent, the whole world suffers.
“From climate action, to conflict resolution, from peace building to pandemic response, our global challenges demand women’s full participation.
“To create a future where women and girls can thrive, we must reject violence in all of its forms, unconditional, unequivocally and collectively.”
The event also served as a platform to articulate the Malaysian government’s legislative and strategic response to the ongoing digital violence crisis.
In her keynote address, Teo Nie Ching, Deputy Minister of Communications, underscored the socioeconomic cost of inaction: “In addition to being a human rights issue, digital violence also hinders women’s participation in the economy.”.
“When women hesitate to engage online for fear of harassment, their opportunities in e-commerce, digital entrepreneurship, and remote work become limited. Malaysia’s digital economy cannot grow if women are not able to participate fully and confidently.
“The same goes for women’s participation in politics. At the Gender Outlook Forum, I spoke with a panel of cross-party women leaders who shared how routine and relentless online abuse has become.
“This is not merely unpleasant, it is a form of intimidation that seeks to shrink the space for women’s voices in public life.
“When abuse silences women or discourages them from stepping forward, it weakens our democratic institutions and robs the nation of diverse leadership.
“Ensuring safer digital spaces is therefore essential to enabling women to participate fully and equally in political life.”
Addressing the scale of the problem, Teo revealed startling new data regarding online enforcement.
“The reports received by MCMC shows that the volume of harmful cyberbullying content has been increasing.
“In 2023, MCMC removed 1763 harmful content with the element of cyberbullying, and the figure increased to 8,756 in 2024, and to 28,394 cases as of October 31, 2025.”
She reaffirmed the government’s stance and actions taken to curb the blight, citing the Penal Code reforms under Sections 507A through 507E (which covers the criminalisation of both physical and digital stalking, alongside a wide spectrum of digital harm such as threatening online messages, doxxing and more) as proof of their commitment to holding perpetrators accountable.
She also noted that the Ministry of Communications has taken proactive steps through launching the National Online Safety Campaign (Kempen Internet Selamat), which now covers 8,158 schools nationwide.
However, she also stressed the grave responsibility tech companies play in addressing digital violence, quoting a recently published article on Meta.
“On November 22, Reuters published an article entitled ‘Meta Buried Causal Evidence Of Social Media Harm’.
“The article shows something frightening: Meta required users to be caught 17 times attempting to traffic people for sex before it would remove them from its platform, which a document described as ‘a very, very, very high strike threshold’.
“Platform providers must work closely with the relevant authorities to build a safer digital ecosystem.
“There can be no compromise when it comes to digital violence, especially offences such as sexual harassment and child sexual abuse material.
“As the custodians of the spaces where these harms occur, they bear a clear responsibility to act.”
Following the first keynote address, the event transitioned into a high-impact live podcast panel session moderated by independent broadcast journalist Tehmina Kaoosji.
The session brought together a diverse group of experts to dissect the mechanics of digital abuse and propose actionable solutions.
Panellists included Syerleena Abdul Rashid, Member of Parliament for Bukit Bendera, Dr Sean Thum, Special Functions Officer to the Deputy Minister of Communications, Daniella Zulkifli, exco member and former president of the Association of Women Lawyers, and Joanna Joseph, content creator and mental health and anti-bullying advocate.
Subjects discussed included the evolution of TFGBV over the last decade and its real-time impacts on women’s public and political participation in the present day, the establishment of a Criminal Law Reform Committee led by Azalina Othman Said to criminalise the misuse of AI, the importance of explicitly recognising TFGBV in the law for data collection and accountability, and various advancements needed to ensure reporting procedures for digital and physical violence are gender sensitive and survivor-centric.
As the event concluded, the KL Tower was lit in brilliant orange, serving as a rallying call to all Malaysians, a beacon of hope and a visual pledge to end violence against women and girls once and for all.
With the support of the Ministry of Communications, and the KL Tower Management team, the tower will continue to be lit up in orange for one hour every night until December 10 as part of the 16 Days of Activism #ORANGETHENATION campaign.
In addition, UNFPA also launched an IDEVAW social media video campaign to amplify key Malaysian stakeholders’ calls to action for ending digital violence against women and girls.
In a campaign video posted earlier today, Gobind Singh, Minister of Digital, shared a message acknowledging the devastating impacts digital violence has on Malaysian women and girls.
To address the crisis, he committed to reinforcing accountability mechanisms and championing digital resilience.
UNFPA invites all Malaysians to join the campaign by wearing orange throughout the campaign period and sharing a personal video highlighting this critical issue, with the hashtag #IDEVAW2025.
UNFPA also debuted their first ever public service announcement video, which showcased the lived experiences of Malaysian women grappling with the fear of gender-based violence, both inside and outside their homes.
This video is formally endorsed by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development and the Ministry of Communications, and will be broadcasted daily throughout the 16 Days of Activism by Astro AWANI.
