As more people spend time online, a hidden epidemic is growing and that is digital violence.
Women and girls are increasingly targeted with insults, threats, blackmail, sexual coercion and harassment.
Recent data and reports show how widespread and harmful the problem has become, even in Ghana.
Between August 2024 and March 2025, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) monitored social media platforms and recorded 583 incidents of online gender‑based violence (OGBV) targeting women, especially female politicians, public‑facing leaders and social‑media influencers.
Though digital violence affects both males and females, girls and women are often targeted because it is merely the same deep-rooted societal gender inequalities that have simply moved online.
The sort of gender-based violence (face discrimination, sexism or stereotypes) that girls and women experience offline are the very same attitudes that show up on the internet, and even more severely because people feel well-hidden behind screens.
Incidents
Data from the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) reveals that in the first half of this year 2025 alone, Ghana recorded over 2,000 cybercrime incidents including 496 cyberbullying cases, 291 incidents of online blackmail and 32 cases of online child sexual exploitation or abuse.
In early 2024, victims lost more than GH¢100,000 in just four months in cases that involved criminals luring victims into intimate online relationships, tricking them into sending private images and then blackmailing them for money under threat of public exposure.
Many of the online attacks involve body‑shaming, degrading remarks, defamatory accusations and even sexualised insults. Some posts seek to discredit women’s character, insult their appearance or intimidate them into silence.
These attacks are not only deeply hurtful.
They also silence women, discourage them from speaking out and participating in public debates or running for office. According to critics, this digital harassment is a major barrier to inclusion and equality in civic life.
Digital violence
Digital violence in Ghana is not confined to social media.
This year, the CSA issued multiple warnings about unregulated mobile lending or loan apps that use harassment, blackmail and threats to extort repayment.
These apps often credit small amounts (e.g., under GH¢ 200) into a user’s wallet then bombard them with aggressive repayment demands.
If victims fail to repay, the operators threaten to publish private data or nude photos on social media or to label them as criminals or thieves.
Between January and May 2025, the CSA received 377 complaints about cyberbullying linked to these apps, a sharp rise from 228 reported cases in 2024.
Digital violence destroys lives. It undermines dignity, mental health, safety and the right to participate freely in society.
For women and girls, it silences voices, making many victims withdraw from social media or public engagement out of fear.
It damages reputations and trust when there are threats to share private images or false allegations that can ruin personal and professional lives.
This behaviour only perpetuates gender inequalities.
Attention
This issue of digital violence deserves attention because its impact is often invisible.
It leaves deep psychological wounds that many cannot understand or acknowledge.
Ghana needs clear legislation that defines online gender‑based violence, cyber‑harassment, blackmail and sextortion as serious crimes.
Perpetrators must be held accountable.
Predatory loan and finance apps should be regulated and blacklisted.
Digital safety awareness and education should be conducted in schools, youth groups, women’s organisations and religious bodies.
Girls and women must learn how to protect personal data, avoid risky online behaviour and how to safely report abuse.
Safe channels should be provided for victims to report abuses and access legal help, counselling and support without stigma and other barriers.
Citizens and media must speak out against harassment, body‑shaming, cyberbullying and blackmail.
An online culture that spreads respect, empathy and dignity online should be promoted.
The writer is a child development expert/Fellow, Zero-To-Three Academy, USA.
E-mail: nanaesi.gaisie@wellchildhaven.com
