Saint Lucia has emerged as a frontline responder in the global battle against digital violence, culminating its UN 16 Days of Activism with a Youth Awareness Fair at Derek Walcott Square on Human Rights Day. This grassroots initiative coincides with the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force’s innovative TikTok challenge launched Tuesday, designed to generate crucial dialogue about online abuse prevention.
These local efforts align with this year’s international campaign theme ‘No Excuse for Online Abuse,’ running from November 25 to December 10, which addresses the escalating threats women and girls face in digital environments. The spectrum of digital violence ranges from harassment and coercion to invasive surveillance and deepfake exploitation, creating urgent safety concerns worldwide.
Alarming UN statistics reveal that gender-based violence affects one in three women during their lifetime. Digital violence impacts between 16-58% of women and girls, with an estimated 90-98% of malicious deepfake content featuring non-consensual sexual imagery targeting females.
The UN emphasizes that while digital harm occurs online, its consequences manifest in tangible reality—silencing journalists through threats, forcing activists to abandon platforms, undermining girls’ confidence, and in extreme cases, leading to physical violence including stalking, rape, and murder.
This crisis intensifies as funding cuts force women’s organizations globally to reduce or terminate anti-violence programs. Saint Lucia’s community-driven response demonstrates how local initiatives are bridging this critical gap.
The police department’s TikTok challenge invites 30-60 second awareness videos, offering laptop prizes for participants under 18 and $500 cash awards for adults. Complementing these efforts, the UN has published a comprehensive safety guide ‘Explainer: Online Safety 101 – What Every Woman and Girl Should Know’ available at unwomen.org, detailing digital abuse forms, warning signs, and protective measures.