20th Август 2025

Solidarity Statement at the 7th Southern Africa Youth Forum – Antananarivo, Madagascar, August 2025

Equality Now, co-founder of the Alliance for Universal Digital Rights (AUDRi), joined partners at the 7th Southern Africa Youth Forum, held alongside the SADC Summit in Antananarivo, Madagascar. In addition to celebrating Madagascar’s chairship, we convened a key side event on advancing digital rights and legal reforms to end technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). Together with Southern Africa Youth Forum (SAYoF), SADC PF, SADC, SAf-CNGO, and the African Union, we reaffirm our commitment to building a safer, more inclusive future for women and girls across Southern Africa.

What’s inside the submission?

Recommendations to strengthen enforcement, survivor protection, and cross-border cooperation under the SADC Model Law on GBV, particularly regarding technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV).

Who’s this submission for?

  • SADC Heads of State
  • Law and policymakers
  • Legal professionals
  • Government institutions
  • Youth Forums
  • Southern African community

Key recommendations

  • A call for the adoption of feminist digital principles that close the youth digital divide, ensure universal, affordable, accessible, inclusive and safe internet access, and guarantee freedom from TFGBV.
  • Emphasis on increasing young women’s leadership and participation in all levels of digital governance, policymaking, and technology development.
  • Suggestions to hold technology corporations accountable by requiring equality-by-design approaches, safeguarding against harmful surveillance and discriminatory AI, and ensuring data privacy and consent protections.
  • A focus on regional and global cooperation, urging SADC member states to endorse feminist digital principles, fully implement the Global Digital Compact, and mainstream gender across all digital governance frameworks.

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