Digital Violence: NHRC, NBA Women Forum Mobilise Against Online Attacks on Women Lawyers

By: Michael Mike

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Nigerian Bar Association Women Forum (NBAWF) have launched a renewed institutional push to confront the growing wave of digital violence against women in the legal profession, warning that online abuse is increasingly being used to intimidate, silence and undermine women’s participation in public life.

The two organisations, at a high-level seminar in Abuja on Monday, called for greater awareness of legal remedies, improved reporting mechanisms, stronger institutional collaboration and enhanced digital security to protect women lawyers, judges, academics, law students and other women in the justice sector from technology-facilitated abuse.

The seminar, organised around the theme, “Digital Violence and Privacy: Legal Remedies for Cyberbullying, Image-Based Abuse and Online Harassment Targeting Women in Law,” brought together legal practitioners, judicial officers, human rights advocates and digital rights experts to examine the growing threats posed by the misuse of technology.

The development comes against the backdrop of the increasing use of social media and other digital platforms as tools for professional engagement, public advocacy and civic participation. However, the same platforms have also created new avenues for cyberbullying, cyberstalking, identity theft, doxxing, online intimidation, non-consensual sharing of intimate images and coordinated attacks against women.

Opening the seminar on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Chief Tony Ojukwu, the Commission’s Director of Legal Services, Hajiya Rabi A. Anwar, said technological advancement had transformed communication and professional practice but had also created new frontiers for human rights violations.

She said women in the legal profession were increasingly exposed to digital attacks capable of damaging their reputation, compromising their privacy and threatening their personal and professional security.

According to her, the abuses were not simply the unpleasant consequences of modern technology but serious violations of fundamental rights to dignity, privacy, equality and freedom from discrimination.

She warned that the consequences extended beyond individual victims, as persistent online harassment could intimidate women into silence and discourage them from seeking leadership positions, participating in public debates or maintaining a visible professional presence.

“Digital violence can silence women, restrict their participation in public life and undermine their professional advancement,” she said.

Anwar said the NHRC’s mandate to protect and promote human rights covered both physical and digital spaces, stressing that the emerging nature of online abuse required institutions to adapt their strategies and strengthen cooperation.

She identified the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, and constitutional protections for fundamental rights as some of the legal instruments available to victims of digital violence.

However, she said the principal challenge was increasingly becoming the lack of awareness among victims and the public about the remedies available to them.

“Many victims do not know where to report, how to preserve digital evidence or which institution has the responsibility to intervene,” she said.

She explained that the seminar was therefore designed to move beyond theoretical discussions by providing participants with practical knowledge on litigation and other remedies, preservation of digital evidence, content takedown and de-indexing procedures, data protection complaints, cybersecurity and strategic advocacy.

She urged participants to use the knowledge acquired to protect themselves, assist victims and contribute to the development of a stronger national response to digital violence.

The NHRC further pledged to sustain its partnership with the NBA Women Forum and work towards translating the recommendations of the seminar into concrete policy initiatives and institutional action.

In her remarks, the National Chairperson of the NBA Women Forum, Mrs Agnes Fache-Omoya, described digital violence as a serious human rights and professional challenge that could affect virtually every aspect of a woman’s life.

She said the growing visibility of women lawyers online, while creating opportunities for professional engagement and public advocacy, had also exposed them to increased risks of cyberbullying, online intimidation, identity theft, image-based abuse and other forms of technology-enabled gender violence.

Omoya said the legal profession could not claim to be advancing gender equality while women lawyers were forced to choose between professional visibility and personal safety.

“No female lawyer should have to choose between professional visibility and personal security,” she said.

She reaffirmed the commitment of the NBA Women Forum to ensuring that women in the legal profession could practise and participate in public life with confidence, dignity and freedom from harassment both online and offline.

According to her, the partnership with the NHRC was particularly significant because the protection of women in the digital space required more than individual vigilance.

“It requires strong institutions, effective laws, accessible remedies and a professional community that refuses to normalise abuse,” she said.

She urged participants to promote responsible digital conduct, ethical online engagement and stronger solidarity within the legal profession.

Experts at the seminar examined the legal and institutional responses available to victims of cyberbullying, online harassment, image-based abuse and privacy violations. Discussions also focused on cybersecurity, responsible digital citizenship, evidence preservation and the need for victims to report abuses rather than suffer in silence.

The event ended with calls for sustained public education, improved institutional response mechanisms and more effective enforcement of existing laws.

Participants stressed that as Nigeria’s legal profession and public institutions continue to embrace digital technology, the protection of women online must become an integral part of the country’s broader human rights, gender equality and justice agenda.

The consensus was that digital spaces must not become new arenas for discrimination and intimidation, but platforms where women can participate freely, safely and equally in professional and public life.

Digital Violence: NHRC, NBA Women Forum Mobilise Against Online Attacks on Women Lawyers