Isoka calls for action against technology-facilitated violence

The Isoka Gender Sub-Committee has stepped up its advocacy against digital abuse, with Vice Chairperson Exilda Muuka calling for a coordinated and multi-sectoral approach to combat technology-facilitated violence (TFV). Speaking during a community sensitisation engagement in the Muchinga Province district, Ms Muuka emphasised that while digital expansion and mobile connectivity have unlocked various economic opportunities for local communities, they have simultaneously birthed new avenues for harassment, exploitation, and psychological abuse targeting women and young girls. Ms Muuka noted that technology-facilitated violence—encompassing cyberbullying, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, digital stalking, and online character assassination—poses a severe threat to social cohesion and individual safety. She stressed that local structures, traditional leadership, law enforcement agencies, and civil society organisations must forge tighter alliances to bridge knowledge gaps and create robust reporting mechanisms for victims who often suffer in silence due to stigma and fear. “The digital space must not be allowed to become a lawless frontier where vulnerable members of our society are tormented with impunity,” Ms Muuka stated, calling for heightened educational campaigns that target both urban centres and remote rural communities. She pointed out that many victims, particularly young women navigating social media platforms and mobile messaging applications for the first time, lack adequate literacy regarding digital safety and privacy settings, leaving them exposed to malicious actors. Local stakeholders have welcomed the intervention, noting that provincial areas in Zambia are increasingly mirroring global trends where rapid internet penetration outpaces digital safety education. Community leaders pointed out that online harassment frequently spills over into physical spaces, leading to domestic strife, psychological trauma, and in severe instances, academic