Speaking Out Against Online Violence: UN Women Albania’s Digital Campaign During the 16 Days of Activism
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Tirana, Albania – Online spaces are part of everyday life. They are where people connect, learn, and express themselves. But for many women and girls these spaces can also become places of fear, harassment, and harm.
During the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, UN Women Albania launched a digital campaign to shine a light on online violence against women and girls and to remind the public that abuse online is neither harmless nor just “virtual” – it has real and lasting consequences in women’s lives.
Running from 25 November to 10 December, the campaign “Online Violence is Real Violence” – #NoExcuse for online abuse, focused on helping people better understand what online violence looks like, why it matters, where to report and what can be done to stop it.
Making the invisible visible
Online violence takes many forms, from harassment and threats to stalking, non-consensual sharing of images, deepfakes, and coordinated attacks. Yet, many of these behaviors are still poorly understood – even normalized – and conversations about digital harm are still emerging.
Through clear visuals and simple language, UN Women Albania explained different forms of technology-facilitated abuse and why they should never be dismissed. Beyond statistics, the campaign emphasized how online abuse affects real lives, leading to anxiety, fear, self-censorship, and withdrawal from public and digital spaces.
In Albania, 41 per cent of women who are active online have experienced some form of technology-facilitated violence, according to UN Women research “The dark side of digitalization: Technology-facilitated violence against women in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.” Despite its prevalence, online violence is frequently minimalized or dismissed, making it harder for survivors to seek help or justice. The campaign challenged these perceptions by reinforcing a clear message: online violence has real-life consequences and must be taken seriously.
Reaching wide audiences through digital engagement
Through UN Women Albania’s social media channels, the campaign reached more than 300,000 people, engaging a wide and diverse audience, especially young people.
To amplify the message, five influencers from different backgrounds and generations joined the campaign. Through creative and thoughtful content, they helped start conversations about online safety, respect, and accountability, making the campaign’s messages more relatable and accessible.
Visual content, infographics, and short messages explained different forms of online violence and encouraged respectful online behavior.
By using accessible language and strong visuals, the campaign helped increase understanding of how digital abuse affects women and girls while also promoting zero tolerance for violence in online spaces.
Where to get help
A key part of the campaign was ensuring that women and girls would know where to turn if they experience online violence. Posts shared clear information on how to report cybercrime and seek support through the State Police, including:
- The Cybercrime Investigation Directorate phone line: +355 69 4155 552
- Email: CC@asp.gov.al
- The State Police platform “Denonco Krimin Kibernetik”
where individuals can submit complaints and request protection and immediate intervention.
By making this information visible and easily accessible, the campaign aimed to reduce barriers to reporting and reinforce the message that survivors are not alone.
Private sector engagement
The campaign was also amplified through the engagement of private companies, signatories of the Women’s Empowerment Principles, who used their own digital platforms to take a stand against online and offline violence. During the 16 Days, companies such as, Intesa San Paolo Bank, FedInvest and Delta Pharma shared campaign content and created original messages, and promoting zero tolerance for gender-based violence. Through their digital engagement, these companies helped extend the campaign’s reach and reinforced the message that preventing violence against women and girls is a shared responsibility, including in the workplace, online spaces, and the wider society.
The 16 Days campaign was part of UN Women’s broader work in Albania to prevent violence against women and girls in all its forms and was implemented in close collaboration with the United Nations in Albania and other UN agencies.