Harare, 22 November 2025 - When young journalist Ruvimbo Muchenje publishes a political story online, she prepares for the backlash long before she shares the link.

“It doesn’t matter how accurate, balanced, or important the story is,” she explains. “Men online will bully you for your looks, your past, or your former relationships, not the critical content you have developed. This is the major reason why women self-censor even when you have produced great content.”

Ruvimbo’s story mirrors the experiences of countless women and girls across Zimbabwe: digital spaces that are meant to empower instead become battlegrounds of intimidation, harassment, and abuse.

This year’s 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, placed a strong spotlight on the emerging crisis of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) as a growing problem of online violence.

With the theme “Unite to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls”, UNFPA and partners marked the campaign period with a number of activities to reach survivors with life saving information and raise awareness on this problem.

On November 22 Zimbabwe, the national launch featured a video address by His Excellency Dr. Emmerson D. Mnangagwa, The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe reaffirming government commitment to ending all forms of GBV.

“We are determined to realise an environment that is just and free of Gender-Based Violence… The High-Level Political Compact, policies, and frameworks to end GBV and protect women’s rights are all aligned,” he said.

"We are determined to realise an environment that is just and free of Gender-Based Violence… The High-Level Political Compact, policies, and frameworks to end GBV and protect women’s rights are all aligned,” he said.

Digital Violence: The New frontier of Abuse 

As Zimbabwe accelerates its digital transformation, TFGBV has become an urgent reality, ranging from cyber-harassment and image-based abuse to online exploitation and cyber-stalking.

United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Edward Kallon, underscored the seriousness of the issue:

“Digital violence is real violence. Its harms mental health impacts, economic exclusion, silencing of journalists and political actors reverberate offline, eroding civic participation. We must recommit, act, invest, and maintain solidarity.”

The Economic Imperative: GBV Costs $1.36 Billion

One of the most striking revelations at the launch event was the preliminary findings of the Economic Cost of GBV in Zimbabwe Study, commissioned by the World Bank, UNFPA, and New York University, under the Sustaining the Gains Programme. According to the study, GBV cost Zimbabwe an estimated US$1.36 billion in 2023, equivalent to 3.87% of GDP.

The breakdown includes:

US$1.12 Billion in Intangible Costs (3.17% of GDP): long-term health, social and psychological impacts.

US$138.3 Million in Human Capital Losses: reduced productivity, wage scarring, lost education opportunities.

Deputy Minister of Women Affairs, Jennifer Mhlanga, emphasized that these findings confirm that GBV is not only a human rights violation but a significant economic barrier: “It is a fiscal as well as a moral imperative to invest in prevention and response,” she said.

UNFPA Zimbabwe Representative  Ms. Miranda Tabifor reinforced this message: “Gender-Based Violence is not only a human rights crisis, but an economic drain that impedes development.”

Team Europe Renews Commitment to Ending GBV

On their part, the European Union, represented by Chargée d’Affaires Lourdes Chamorro, reaffirmed that more than €300 million in commitments toward gender equality between 2021 and 2027. She highlighted the newly signed USD 4.5 million Sustaining the Gains Programme, jointly funded by the EU and Switzerland, which will:

• Strengthen forensic evidence capacity at the Zimbabwe Republic Police Headquarters

• Improve helplines and digital literacy

• Enhance reporting pathways for survivors of online violence

Translating Policy Into Survivor-Centred Action

The call for action is guided by the National Strategy to Prevent and Address GBV (2023–2030), which explicitly identifies TFGBV as an emerging threat requiring urgent attention. The Cyber and Data Protection Act already criminalises several forms of digital abuse, including online harassment, image-based abuse, sharing intimate images without consent (“revenge pornography”) and online violence against children.

The 2025 16 Days of Activism is a resounding call for unity and solidarity. UNFPA remains committed to supporting evidence-based action, survivor-centred services, and coordinated national efforts to end GBV, ensuring that every woman and girl can live free from violence in every space, online and offline.