Escalating Digital Violence Forces Ethiopian Women Activists into Exile
Women's rights activists in Ethiopia are facing an alarming surge in technology-facilitated gender-based violence, with many being forced to flee the country for their safety. Experts warn that online abuse has become so pervasive and normalized that feminists are increasingly being pushed out of public digital spaces.
Targeted Campaigns and Extreme Threats
Yordanos Bezabih, a prominent Ethiopian women's rights activist, experienced years of online threats including acid attacks, gang-rape warnings, and death threats. The situation escalated dramatically in 2025 when an anonymous Telegram group with 6,000 subscribers organized efforts to track her location. The group circulated deepfake nude images and videos of Bezabih, while strangers began filming her in public streets.
The harassment intensified when thieves broke into her home to steal her laptop, followed by her Telegram account being hacked. Private photos and messages were distributed across social media platforms, and perpetrators eventually circulated her home address with demands for her execution. Bezabih left Ethiopia in August and has not returned, stating she must remain abroad to protect her safety while continuing her advocacy work.
Normalization of Online Abuse
Research by the Centre for Information Resilience reveals that technology-facilitated gender-based violence has become "normalized to the point of invisibility" in Ethiopia. Their 2024 report, Silence, Shamed and Threatened, documents how this digital violence creates severe offline consequences including psychological harm, physical assault, and arrests.
The organization conducted in-depth interviews with 14 Ethiopian women in public roles who described feeling silenced or forced to withdraw from social media due to constant humiliation, shaming, and sexualization. No platform felt safe for these women, according to the research findings.
Government and Platform Inaction
Activists report that both government institutions and technology platforms are failing to address the crisis. Befekadu Hailu, former director of Ethiopia's Centre for the Advancement of Rights and Democracy, states: "I don't think the government is much concerned about online harassment. It is barely a government agenda. I have never come across any government action following any tech-facilitated gender-based violence."
Bezabih adds that despite community guidelines, technology platforms rarely respond to reports or appeals regarding the abuse. This lack of accountability creates an environment where perpetrators operate with impunity.
Campaigns Against Feminist Voices
The situation has become particularly dangerous for women who identify as feminists. Maya Misikir, sister of activist Lella Misikir who fled Ethiopia in 2024, explains: "If you self-describe as a feminist, then you become a target, as that word is associated nowadays with anti-Ethiopian values and traditions, against the core family unit."
An anonymous Ethiopian women's rights activist reveals that conservative influencers and growing manosphere communities view women speaking out about gender-based violence as "against Ethiopian identity, and hence they must be exterminated."
Real-World Consequences
The case of Lella Misikir illustrates how online harassment escalates into physical danger. After launching the "My Whistle, My Voice" campaign against street harassment, Misikir faced intense online backlash that included being outed as potentially gay—a particularly dangerous accusation in Ethiopia where homosexuality is illegal and LGBTQ+ individuals face violence and imprisonment.
When online mobs began searching for her home address, Misikir stopped leaving her house. People recognized her in cafes and traffic, creating constant safety concerns. She left Ethiopia in November 2024 and has been unable to return.
Broader Impact on Public Participation
The director of an organization focused on Ethiopian youth notes that instead of holding perpetrators accountable, women are frequently told to withdraw from online spaces. This effectively silences them and pushes them away from public participation.
"People don't think it is a problem," she says. "They consider it as a luxury thing. They don't think people are actually getting assaulted, or socially traumatized, or psychosocially affected by the issue."
The anonymous activist who left Ethiopia temporarily describes feeling "very burnt-out" after spending extensive time online exposed to hate speech and targeted violence. She emphasizes that the normalization of such abuse represents a significant threat to women's participation in public life and democratic processes.
