United Kingdom and UN Women call for collective action to address digital violence against women and girls in Cambodia

A panel discussion and reception co-hosted by the British Embassy and UN Women Cambodia on 9 December provided a space for dialogue on digital violence against women and girls, in line with the theme of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

Held at the British Ambassador’s Residence in Phnom Penh, British Ambassador Dominic Williams emphasized the United Kingdom’s commitment to addressing all forms of violence against women and girls, describing the discussion as “a moment to recommit to ending this scourge.”

“Digital violence is not just an online issue. It is a real-world threat to safety, dignity, equality and democratic participation,” added Christine Arab, UN Women Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.

The event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including the Minister of Women’s Affairs Ing Kantha Phavi, UN Resident Coordinator Jo Scheuer, UNFPA Country Representative Sandra Bernklau and representatives from government, civil society and technology companies.

As Cambodia’s digital landscape continues to expand, online platforms have become central to social, political and economic participation. At the same time, speakers emphasized that these spaces are increasingly misused to harass, threaten and silence women and girls.

“Digital tools are increasingly being exploited to harm vulnerable groups, especially women and children,” said Sodany Tan, Director of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy Department at the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, underscoring the urgency of addressing this trend within the national context.

From the private sector perspective, Rosanich Sou, Partner Director for TikTok at Aleph Inc., said digital environments must be understood as real spaces with real consequences: “What happens online has real impact – sometimes even greater than offline actions – because harm can multiply at enormous scale.”

Ambassador Williams reflected on how fear of online abuse is already shaping behaviour, particularly among young women: “Young women are already excluding themselves from roles, events and online spaces because they fear unwanted attention. That means we are not giving them the best opportunities in life, and as a society, we are not making the best of 50 per cent of our population.”

A recurring theme throughout the evening was shared responsibility. As Tan noted: “Addressing digital violence requires collaboration from all stakeholders – digital platforms, non-governmental organizations, civil society and the Government. No one can tackle this issue alone.”

Prevention also emerged as a central focus, particularly in relation to children and young people. Sou outlined safeguards available on platforms such as TikTok, including parental controls that allow families to manage screen time or restrict certain features. While acknowledging that awareness remains limited. “Parental controls are still underused in Cambodia. We must start with education. Parents need the tools and knowledge to protect their children in digital spaces.”

Ambassador Williams stressed that prevention must address the social drivers of online harm: “We must also prevent young men from becoming perpetrators in the first place,” he said, pointing to the need for education, digital literacy, stronger laws and improved international cooperation so that digital spaces are no longer hostile to women and girls.

The panel also examined the growing role of artificial intelligence in content moderation, with government representatives cautioning against overreliance on automated systems and stressing the importance of local expertise.

As the evening ended, participants stressed that awareness alone is no longer enough. The challenge now is to translate dialogue into sustained action, grounded in lived experience and shared across sectors. As Arab reminded participants: “digital violence is preventable and everyone in this room has a role in ending it.”