Equality Ministry presents “Digital Violence is Violence,” an initiative to promote awareness and social rejection of online abuse
The Ministry of Equality, through the Government Delegation against Gender-Based Violence, has launched the summer campaign “Digital Violence is Violence”, aimed at raising awareness of the various forms of gender-based violence that occur online and on social media. The initiative seeks to prevent these behaviours, encourage reporting, and build an environment of support for victims.
Gender-Based Violence Also Happens Online
The campaign highlights that gender-based violence is not confined to physical spaces such as nightclubs, stadiums, or homes; it also takes place in the digital realm. The internet and social media are settings where abusive behaviours manifest — different in context, but equally serious and deserving of the same decisive response.
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New Campaign to Raise Awareness and Combat Gender-Based Violence in the Digital Sphere
According to international studies, over 73% of women who use the internet have experienced some form of digital violence. These aggressions include harassment on social networks, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, control via electronic devices, and cyberstalking, all of which deeply impact victims’ freedom, security, and well-being.
A Direct Message to Society
The campaign’s central video portrays everyday settings — beaches, gyms, offices, nightclubs — to emphasise that violence can occur anywhere, including virtual spaces. Its closing message is unequivocal: “Digital Violence is Violence.”
The initiative is particularly aimed at men, encouraging a shift in attitudes and the responsible, respectful use of technology. It also calls on young people and society at large to engage in building an environment that supports victims and firmly rejects aggressors.
Part of the State Pact against Gender-Based Violence
This action forms part of the State Pact against Gender-Based Violence, renewed last February with broad parliamentary support. For the first time, the pact prioritises economic, vicarious, and digital violence as key areas of intervention.
The Ministry emphasises the importance of educating new generations on the safe and respectful use of the internet, encouraging the reporting of abusive behaviors, and socially isolating those who perpetrate them. “Those who harass, control, or humiliate in the digital world must understand that they do not have society’s support,” the Ministry notes.
Commitment to a Safe Digital Space
With this campaign, the Ministry of Equality reaffirms its commitment to ensuring a digital environment free from gender-based violence, protecting victims’ rights, and responding to online abuse swiftly and decisively.
More information about victims’ rights and available support resources is provided on the Ministry’s website.