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Online gender-based violence is endemic in Cameroon social media. — **“AI is fueling new forms digital violence and being weaponized against women and girls everywhere,” says the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women. (Illustration courtesy of UNWomen)**

In a room at the offices of Humanity First Cameroon, about 30 participants, mostly women, gathered recently for a groundbreaking conference on social media and human rights.

Organized in partnership with Coalition Plus and led by LGBTI rights activist Jean-Jacques Dissoke with moderation by Davila Massoba, the event was part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence in Cameroon.

From the outset, the tone was set: social media has become a public arena where battles for dignity and violence are waged. The speakers emphasized that human rights violations are often more pronounced there than in the physical world. “Media actors are more interested in deviant content,” said one participant, highlighting the drift of a digital space given over to controversy and settling of scores.

The conference revealed a glaring lack of knowledge about human rights among content creators. Many confuse advocacy, awareness-raising, and communication, while others refuse to assume an educational role, believing that “it’s not up to influencers to educate children.” Yet, these same influencers are themselves often victims of gender-based violence and cyberbullying online.

The discussions addressed sensitive topics:

Femicides and infanticides: Deemed too controversial by some influencers, who fear losing their audience.
The LGBT community: Mentioned as already visible in advocacy and health initiatives, but still stigmatized in the digital space.
The legal framework: Limited in Cameroon, with a cybercrime law dating from 2010 and a penal code that only partially protects women, particularly against female genital mutilation and violence against pregnant women.

Participants formulated several avenues for action:

Train media professionals in human rights and communication strategies.
Redirect content to convey constructive messages.
Systematically integrate the concept of human rights into content creation, emphasizing universal rights such as health and life.
Encourage respect for individual boundaries and responsibilities, while strengthening solidarity in the face of online violence

Beyond the observations, the conference highlighted the involvement of Cameroonian civil society in defending human rights in the digital age. Social networks, far from being mere spaces for entertainment, are becoming arenas where the future of inclusion and dignity is being shaped.

This meeting revealed both the dangers and the opportunities of social networks. While there are many abuses, the event showed that with better training, awareness and collective will, these platforms can become powerful levers for awareness and advocacy.