{"id":256977,"date":"2025-11-06T07:27:05","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T11:27:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=256977"},"modified":"2025-11-06T07:27:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T11:27:06","slug":"gender-affairs-and-iho-launch-poster-contest-to-tackle-online-violence-against-women","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/gender-affairs-and-iho-launch-poster-contest-to-tackle-online-violence-against-women\/","title":{"rendered":"Gender Affairs and IHO Launch Poster Contest to Tackle Online Violence Against Women"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Directorate of Gender Affairs (DoGA) of Antigua and Barbuda, and the nonprofit organisation, Integrated Health Outreach Inc. (IHO), are excited to announce the launch of a new advocacy poster competition to raise awareness and foster action to end digital violence against women and girls. The competition is for young people and aligns with the global observance of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which is observed annually from November 25 to December 10.<\/p>

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The theme for the poster competition is \u201cUNiTE to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls.\u201d This is also the global theme for 16 Days of Activism 2025. Young people aged 12 to 19 years are invited to register and submit an original artwork poster or digital graphic design poster that highlights the theme and displays their creative potential. Today, digital tools are increasingly being used to stalk, harass, and abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women and girls already encounter gender-based violence disproportionately in real life as a consequence of harmful social attitudes that cause it to be normalised. Sadly, the internet has become a space in which gender-based violence against women and girls is also playing out on an ever-increasing basis. Digital violence includes behaviours such as cyberbullying, harassment, online threats, leaking of intimate images, online grooming, revenge porn, deepfakes, doxxing, and other forms of abuse.<\/p>

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Notably, youth today are far more at risk of feeling these harms than any previous generation due to the rapid development of the internet and social media in the modern day. Digital violence can lead to severe emotional and psychological harm, often escalating to physical violence and even loss of life.<\/p>

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The DoGA and IHO see this competition as an opportunity to remind Antigua and Barbuda\u2019s youth and all its residents and citizens that this sort of online behaviour is wrong, is harmful, should never be normalised, should always be called out, and in many cases, can constitute a crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Programme Officer at the DoGA, Melanie Williams-Kimon, states, \u201cOur digital registration link for the competition went up on Tuesday, and we\u2019re happy to say that already, we are seeing registrations. The idea for this competition is to empower young voices through creativity and advocacy, to transform the digital landscape into a safe haven for all.\u201d<\/p>

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Meanwhile, Communications Officer with IHO, Kieron Murdoch, states, \u201cIHO was excited when the DoGA approached us at first to work with them on this, especially as we plan for the national gender-based violence walk for 2026 on International Women\u2019s Day next year. It is an opportunity for us to connect with young people early on. We don\u2019t often talk about online violence, but it is a reality that requires the same urgency in addressing as violence that happens offline.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participants are invited to create original posters that interpret and visually communicate the urgency of combating digital violence against women and girls. There are no restrictions on artistic style.<\/p>

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Key Details:<\/strong><\/p>

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