Ms. Amina Bouayach, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), emphasized that violence against women remains the most pervasive human rights violation worldwide. She described it as a violation that hinders and negates women's ability to fully enjoy their fundamental rights, undermines their dignity, and inflicts lasting harm on victims and those within their communities.

Speaking on her behalf at the opening of the interactive workshop organized by the CNDH on Friday, November 29, 2024, as part of the global campaign 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, Ms. Bouayach highlighted that the advancement and widespread use of information technology, including social media have the potential to expand and perpetuate violence against women online. She further noted that private spaces remain among the most common environments where women and girls face violence.
 

In this context, the CNDH Chairperson reiterated the warning of the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, emphasizing that the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) without integrating a human rights-based approach risks contributing to increasing gender-based discrimination and escalating violence against women and girls. She highlighted the Special Rapporteur’s recommendation for States to address emerging forms of digital violence as serious human rights violations in line with the principle of due diligence, considering that these violations are part of the broader framework of gender discrimination.

Ms. Bouayach also reflected on insights from various CNDH thematic and annual reports, which document the growing impact of modern technologies on violence against women and the violation of their right to privacy. She highlighted the findings of a report from a year-long campaign aimed at encouraging denouncing violence and combating impunity for gender-based violence, as well as a report on protecting children’s rights in the aftermath of the September 8, 2023 earthquake.

The workshop, which brought together a group of civil society actors, shed light on several issues, including violence against women in digital spaces and during crises, the role of climate change in exacerbating violence and discrimination against girls, the impacts of digital violence on women and girls, and mechanisms for monitoring and supporting gender-based violence victims.