Speaking at the United Nations (UN) event marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in New York, she recalled the moment the harassment turned physical when the stranger texted her to describe exactly what she was wearing.
“There is a specific terror in being watched by someone without a face,” she told officials, Goodwill Ambassadors and civil society representatives. Despite receiving explicit death threats, Tesfai said police informed her they could offer no protection because the abuse was digital and the perpetrator’s identity remained unknown.
Her experience comes as a new global report paints a grim picture of violence against women and girls. UN Women and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimate that more than 80 000 women and girls were intentionally killed last year.
Over half of those cases were committed by intimate partners or family members, meaning a woman or girl was killed by someone close to her almost every 10 minutes.
This year’s UN campaign is focusing on the growing threat of digital violence. It calls on governments to strengthen laws that end impunity, urges technology companies to ensure safer online platforms, and appeals to donors to fund efforts to prevent and respond to abuse.
UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock warned that digital spaces have become increasingly hostile, particularly for women in public life. She noted that journalists, activists and politicians routinely endure harassment, sexualised abuse and threats of physical violence online.
The UN report highlights that greater access to digital tools has amplified existing forms of violence and fuelled new ones, including non-consensual image-sharing, doxing and deepfake videos. These attacks can lead to physical, psychological, social and economic harm, often with devastating consequences.
UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous cautioned that survivors frequently face disbelief while abusers enjoy impunity. She outlined three key steps needed to address the crisis: recognising digital violence as real violence, holding technology companies accountable, and increasing investment in prevention and support.
For Tesfai, the solution is clear. Until the law treats online predation as genuine harm, she said, victims are forced into invisibility. “We deserve laws that protect us while we are still alive to be protected,” she told the gathering.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
