When technology fails women: Online abuse and Nigeria’s digital weak points
Source: Global Voices
This post is part of Global Voices’ April 2026 Spotlight series, “Human perspectives on AI.” This series will offer insight into how AI is being used in global majority countries, how its use and implementation are affecting individual communities, what this AI experiment might mean for future generations, and more. You can support this coverage by donating here.
As a Nigerian who has spent years on X (formerly Twitter), I’ve seen a lot. I’ve witnessed trends come and go, policies shift, and communities build and dissolve. For a long time, I considered myself a “conscious” internet user. I curated my timeline carefully, avoided unnecessary engagement, muted triggering keywords, and accepted the uncomfortable truth that the internet, especially for women, was never designed with our safety in mind.
My work at Superbloom (a design non-profit and studio) — particularly on human-centered design projects and the tech policy design lab playbook on online gender-based violence — was my first real exposure to the scale and intensity of violence occurring online. I came to see how these forms of violence persist online: Victims remain scared and vulnerable, while perpetrators are rarely held accountable. A temporary ban is often the extent of the response, and they soon return with a new account and a new victim. Social media, once a place for connection, community-building, and entrepreneurship, has now become a battleground and hostile environment, with women often bearing the brunt of unprovoked abuse. Furthermore, according to UN estimates, only 40 percent of countries have legislation protecting women and girls from online abuse, leaving much of the global population exposed.
This post is part of Global Voices’ April 2026 Spotlight series, “Human perspectives on AI.” This series will offer insight into how AI is being used in global majority countries, how its use and implementation are affecting individual communities, what this AI experiment might mean for future generations, and more. You can support this coverage by donating here.
As a Nigerian who has spent years on X (formerly Twitter), I’ve seen a lot. I’ve witnessed trends come and go, policies shift, and communities build and dissolve. For a long time, I considered myself a “conscious” internet user. I curated my timeline carefully, avoided unnecessary engagement, muted triggering keywords, and accepted the uncomfortable truth that the internet, especially for women, was never designed with our safety in mind.
My work at Superbloom (a design non-profit and studio) — particularly on human-centered design projects and the tech policy design lab playbook on online gender-based violence — was my first real exposure to the scale and intensity of violence occurring online. I came to see how these forms of violence persist online: Victims remain scared and vulnerable, while perpetrators are rarely held accountable. A temporary ban is often the extent of the response, and they soon return with a new account and a new victim. Social media, once a place for connection, community-building, and entrepreneurship, has now become a battleground and hostile environment, with women often bearing the brunt of unprovoked abuse. Furthermore, according to UN estimates, only 40 percent of countries have legislation protecting women and girls from online abuse, leaving much of the global population exposed.