Strengthening Multi-Stakeholder Action to Prevent TFGBV

Bangladesh stands at a critical juncture in its digital transformation journey. The rapid advancement of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) worldwide, coupled with the growing demand for digital public services, has made digital transformation an urgent national priority. In the context of Bangladesh’s development trajectory, digital transformation is no longer an option; it has become a fundamental pillar for sustainable economic and social progress. Through strategic ICT initiatives, the country has been strengthening governance systems, enhancing service delivery mechanisms, and accelerating economic growth. Over the past decade, Bangladesh has undertaken a wide range of digital initiatives that have significantly improved public services, increased efficiency, and promoted economic dynamism.

ICT has emerged as a powerful tool for strengthening governance. The introduction of e-governance services has enhanced transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public administration. Citizens now have greater access to government services through digital platforms, while their participation in policy formulation, decision-making, and service delivery processes continues to expand. Technology-driven solutions have revolutionized service delivery by enabling citizens to access both public and private services remotely via online platforms, mobile applications, and digital help desks. As a result, service costs have been reduced, efficiency has improved, and the quality of life for many citizens has increased.

However, alongside the rapid expansion of digital technologies, their misuse has also increased. Technology is increasingly being used as a tool for harassment, abuse, intimidation, and violence. Individuals from various segments of society are experiencing online abuse and violence, with women and girls disproportionately affected. According to a report published by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in December 2024, two out of every three women globally experience some form of technology-facilitated violence. In Bangladesh, approximately 89 percent of women and girls have encountered technology-facilitated violence. Many victims experience their first cybercrime incident between the ages of 9 and 14, while women aged 18 to 30 face the highest levels of online abuse. Female students and unmarried women are particularly vulnerable. The report further reveals that approximately 75 percent of women survivors do not disclose such incidents to their families, and an equal proportion refrain from pursuing any legal remedies.

Data from Police Cyber Support for Women (PCSW) indicate that by 30 September 2024, a total of 60,808 women sought assistance after experiencing cybercrime. Among these survivors, 41 percent reported being victims of doxxing, 18 percent reported Facebook account hacking, 17 percent experienced blackmail, 9 percent faced impersonation, and 8 percent reported cyberbullying and related forms of online harassment. Such incidents significantly hinder women's participation in digital spaces. This exclusion has broader implications for economic development and social progress. A nation cannot achieve its development aspirations if half of its population remains unsafe in digital environments. Therefore, ensuring digital safety for women and girls is essential for achieving inclusive and sustainable digital development.

There is an urgent need to strengthen awareness, prevention, and response mechanisms regarding Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV). Achieving this requires enhanced collaboration among key stakeholders, including government institutions, private sector organizations, technology companies, civil society organizations, law enforcement agencies, elected representatives, policymakers, and media professionals. Through coordinated action, Bangladesh can create safer and more inclusive digital spaces for all citizens, particularly women and girls.

Building a secure digital ecosystem and sustainable digital development framework requires community-driven solutions, strategic networking, and effective partnerships. Stakeholders, including local government authorities, technology companies, civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, women-led organizations, youth groups, and media professionals, must be equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to prevent and respond to TFGBV. Strengthening digital development also requires fostering stronger connections among government institutions, economic actors, and society through digital technologies.

Efforts to combat TFGBV should facilitate strategic engagement among stakeholders at district and sub-district levels to improve service delivery for survivors and establish effective response mechanisms. Multi-stakeholder dialogue platforms can play a vital role in defining responsibilities, identifying priorities, and fostering collaboration. These dialogues can also raise awareness among participating organizations, their networks, beneficiaries, and partner institutions, while strengthening coordination between government representatives and civil society actors.

Expanding collaboration, partnership-building, and networking among stakeholder organizations is equally important. Through collective planning and implementation, survivors of TFGBV can be encouraged to seek support from law enforcement agencies and government and non-government legal aid service providers. Such efforts can contribute significantly to building a safer digital environment and strengthening access to justice for survivors. Bangladesh's ongoing digital transformation has brought unprecedented opportunities for development. Digital public services, the expansion of information technology, and the digitalization of economic activities have transformed how citizens interact with government institutions and service providers. E-governance systems, online services, mobile applications, and digital platforms have simplified service delivery, reduced costs and time, and increased citizen participation. However, these advancements have also introduced new forms of risk.

Online spaces have become environments where harassment, blackmail, identity theft, image manipulation, privacy violations, and other forms of abuse frequently occur. While anyone may become a victim, women and girls are disproportionately affected. These realities undermine women's freedom of expression, digital participation, mental well-being, educational opportunities, employment prospects, and leadership development. If half of the population cannot safely participate in digital spaces, the vision of inclusive digital development remains incomplete. Preventing and mitigating TFGBV must therefore be recognized as a national priority.

Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence refers to acts of violence, harassment, surveillance, intimidation, humiliation, exploitation, or harmful conduct perpetrated against individuals, particularly women and girls, through information and communication technologies, digital platforms, or other technological means. Such violence may be partially or entirely facilitated by technology and may be committed by individuals or groups.

An important characteristic of TFGBV is that it extends beyond online spaces and can occur through both old and emerging technologies. Social media platforms, messaging applications, mobile phones, GPS tracking devices, recording equipment, and other technological tools can all be used to perpetrate abuse. Therefore, TFGBV is not merely a technological issue; it is a multidimensional manifestation of gender inequality, power imbalances, and insecurity.

Against this backdrop, the Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) is implementing the project titled “Strengthening Resilience Against Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) and Promoting Digital Development.” The project is being implemented under the Nagorikata Civic Engagement Fund (CEF) program with financial support from the Embassy of Switzerland, Global Affairs Canada, and the European Union (EU). Technical assistance is being provided by GFA Consulting Group.

The initiative seeks to increase awareness, support survivors, strengthen institutional capacities, and build multi-stakeholder partnerships by engaging six districts and nine community radio stations across Bangladesh. It aims to promote greater awareness regarding technology-facilitated gender-based violence while strengthening the roles of government agencies, private sector actors, technology companies, civil society organizations, law enforcement institutions, policymakers, media organizations, and social media platforms in creating safer digital spaces, particularly for women and girls.

The project also promotes evidence-based reporting and advocacy to identify TFGBV-related issues and strengthen the roles and responsibilities of local administrations, law enforcement agencies, and other relevant stakeholders. Through awareness-building and capacity-strengthening initiatives, the project seeks to equip local government authorities, technology companies, civil society representatives, NGOs, women-led organizations, youth groups, and media professionals with the knowledge and skills required to prevent and respond effectively to TFGBV.

Furthermore, the project contributes to broader digital development by strengthening linkages among government institutions, economic sectors, and communities through digital technologies. It also facilitates strategic engagement among stakeholders at the district and sub-district levels to improve survivors' access to services and strengthen coordinated responses to technology-facilitated violence.

Under the initiative, BNNRC organized six district-level multi-stakeholder dialogues in Barishal, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Kushtia, Satkhira, and Mymensingh. These dialogues aimed to engage local stakeholders on TFGBV issues, encourage examination of local realities, and strengthen their capacity to address technology-facilitated violence. An inclusive approach guided participant selection and engagement. In accordance with the principle of “Leave No One Behind,” emphasis was placed not only on the overall number of participants but also on ensuring gender balance and meaningful representation of marginalized communities. This approach enabled the dialogues to capture diverse experiences, perspectives, and realities.

Among the 248 participants, 83 individuals represented religious minorities, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, Dalit communities, and transgender communities, accounting for 39.90 percent of all participants. Two participants chose not to disclose their identities.

The dialogues revealed several critical challenges. Survivors often struggle to preserve digital evidence such as screenshots, links, chat histories, and other records. Lengthy legal procedures, complex reporting mechanisms, and fear of retaliation discourage many survivors from filing complaints. This contributes to a culture of impunity, erodes confidence in justice systems, and enables perpetrators to evade accountability.

Institutional limitations in identifying fake accounts, removing harmful content, and responding rapidly to platform-based offences often delay remedies and increase harm. Participants also highlighted the widespread misuse of unregistered SIM cards for identity fraud, financial scams, and crimes related to mobile financial services. Such practices make offender identification difficult and expose citizens to significant financial and personal security risks. The dialogues further identified substantial gaps in public understanding of digital safety, privacy protection, cyber laws, and TFGBV. As a result, many individuals become victims of fraud, harassment, blackmail, and misuse of personal information without knowing where to seek assistance.

Participants also highlighted concerns regarding inadequate parental supervision, excessive smartphone dependence, and limited awareness of parental control mechanisms. These factors increase children's exposure to harmful online content and heighten the risks of exploitation, addiction, and adverse impacts on their psychological and social development. Gender stereotypes and the objectification of women in online spaces continue to contribute to harassment, threats, character assassination, and privacy violations. These dynamics restrict women’s digital participation, discourage self-expression, and make online spaces increasingly unsafe.

Emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, have introduced new risks. Participants noted growing concerns regarding AI-generated image manipulation, non-consensual intimate content, and technology-enabled blackmail. Such developments are making technology-facilitated violence more sophisticated and difficult to address through existing response mechanisms. Marginalized groups, including Dalit communities, women with disabilities, economically disadvantaged populations, and other vulnerable groups, face heightened risks due to limited access to information, digital skills, and support services. Consequently, digital inequalities are deepening, and technology-facilitated violence is exacerbating existing social disparities.

Social stigma, victim-blaming attitudes, family pressure, and fear of reputational damage often prevent survivors from reporting incidents. As a result, many cases remain undocumented, limiting the availability of accurate data for policy development and enabling perpetrators to escape accountability. Participants also expressed concern about the impact of excessive social media use on emotional sensitivity, attention spans, and social behavior. Exposure to repeated instances of violence, humiliation, and privacy violations may contribute to the normalization of harmful conduct.

At the district level, existing systems for prevention, emergency response, psychosocial support, legal assistance, and referral services often lack coordination. Consequently, survivors frequently fail to receive timely and comprehensive support, while prevention initiatives remain fragmented and less effective. Based on information, observations, and stakeholder recommendations gathered through the district-level dialogues, a comprehensive set of recommendations was developed to strengthen TFGBV prevention, response, and access to justice.

First, TFGBV should be formally recognized as a distinct category within existing legal and policy frameworks. Clear definitions are necessary to ensure consistency in prevention, protection, investigation, and judicial processes. Second, district and sub-district committees working on violence prevention, ICT governance, and cybercrime prevention should integrate TFGBV into their mandates and strengthen coordination and follow-up mechanisms. Third, regular multi-stakeholder review meetings should be institutionalized at the district level to assess trends, challenges, responses, and progress related to TFGBV. Fourth, structured capacity-building programs should be introduced for government officials, law enforcement agencies, social service providers, educational administrators, and local service institutions on topics including TFGBV, digital rights, digital evidence, and survivor-centered service provision.

Fifth, specialized TFGBV support desks should be established within District Legal Aid Offices to provide legal advice, referrals, and initial assistance. Sixth, integrated referral pathways should be developed among police units, cybercrime units, healthcare providers, One-Stop Crisis Centres, legal aid institutions, social welfare departments, and civil society organizations to ensure timely and coordinated services for survivors. Seventh, law enforcement personnel and investigators should receive specialized training in digital evidence identification, collection, preservation, documentation, and forensic analysis, supported by appropriate technological resources. Eighth, stronger accountability mechanisms should be introduced to address delays or reluctance in accepting TFGBV-related complaints.

Ninth, virtual support and hearing mechanisms should be considered for survivors living in remote areas where physical access to services and judicial proceedings is challenging. Tenth, specialized panels of lawyers with expertise in cybercrime and TFGBV cases should be established to support survivors throughout legal processes. Educational institutions should integrate digital safety, online behavior, cyber law, and gender sensitivity into extracurricular programs. Parents and families should receive guidance on digital parenting, parental control mechanisms, safe device use, online risks, and trust-based communication with children. Religious leaders, teachers, elected representatives, community leaders, and other influential actors should be engaged in promoting respectful digital behavior, preventing violence against women, and encouraging safe internet use.

Union Digital Centers can serve as local awareness hubs by organizing community meetings, orientations, information services, and targeted outreach programs for vulnerable populations. Safety messages and guidance on personal data protection should be incorporated into SIM registration, mobile phone purchases, and internet service subscriptions. Strategic institutional communication mechanisms should also be established with digital platforms to facilitate content removal, the identification of fake accounts, and the resolution of emergency complaints.

Internet service providers, mobile operators, and digital device vendors should be recognized as responsible stakeholders in TFGBV prevention efforts. Consumer-friendly digital safety guidelines should be made available at the points of sale and service delivery.

District administrations should establish rapid-response or joint-monitoring mechanisms that involve police, cybercrime units, healthcare providers, legal aid services, women’s support organizations, and civil society representatives. Local NGOs, women’s organizations, youth groups, and citizen platforms should play stronger roles in awareness-building, referrals, survivor support, and community monitoring. Youth and women’s organizations can be trained as frontline community response units to support prevention and assistance efforts. Media organizations should be encouraged to produce investigative and public-interest reporting on the causes, manifestations, barriers to justice, and systemic weaknesses related to TFGBV. Public awareness campaigns should promote practical digital security measures such as two-factor authentication, strong passwords, privacy settings, secure backups, and fraud detection techniques.

Families and communities should be educated on the importance of preserving digital evidence, including screenshots, links, voice recordings, call logs, and messages. Efforts must also be made to challenge victim-blaming attitudes and promote supportive, empathetic responses to survivors. Finally, specialized awareness and support initiatives should be developed for marginalized communities, including Dalits, religious and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, transgender communities, and other vulnerable groups, using appropriate languages, methods, and communication channels.

In conclusion, Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence is no longer merely a technological or legal issue. It is fundamentally linked to human rights, justice, security, gender equality, and the creation of an inclusive digital society. The experiences, observations, and recommendations emerging from district-level multi-stakeholder dialogues demonstrate that there is no alternative to coordinated, rights-based, and collaborative action. Establishing effective referral pathways, strengthening institutional capacities, ensuring survivor-centered services, and enhancing accountability mechanisms are critical priorities. Equally important is the need to bring together local administrations, law enforcement agencies, judicial institutions, civil society organizations, media outlets, technology stakeholders, and community leaders under a shared framework for collective action. If the recommendations emerging from these dialogues are implemented in a strategic and prioritized manner, Bangladesh will be better positioned to reduce technology-facilitated violence, strengthen protection and access to justice for survivors, and build a safer, more accountable, equitable, and inclusive digital environment for future generations.

Hiren Pandit
Columnist and Researcher
hiren.bnnrc@gmail.com

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