African Union Calls to Protect Women from AI aided Violence
By Abraham Kebede
October 30, 2026
The African Union has called for technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) and threats linked to artificial intelligence (AI) to be integrated into Women, Peace and Security (WPS) National Action Plans and early warning systems, warning that digital attacks are increasingly used to intimidate, discredit and silence women in peace and political processes.
The call was made at a dialogue titled “Digital Safety at the Peace Table: Addressing AI and Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence against Women in Peace and Security”, convened by the African Union Commission through the Office of the Special Envoy of the Chairperson on Women, Peace and Security (OSE-WPS) at the African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations in New York. Held during WPS Week 2026, as the world marks 26 years since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the dialogue examined how online harassment, disinformation, deepfakes and coordinated digital attacks threaten women’s safety, leadership and participation, and how responsible technology can strengthen early warning, conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
Opening the dialogue, H.E. Ambassador Mohamed Fathi Ahmed Edrees, Permanent Representative of the African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations, underscored that technology-facilitated violence is fundamentally a WPS issue. He called for digital threats to be addressed within existing WPS frameworks, National Action Plans and early warning mechanisms, and for women to participate meaningfully in the design, development and governance of emerging technologies.
“When technology is used to silence a woman peacebuilder, intimidate a mediator or exclude a woman from political participation, it directly affects our collective ability to build and sustain peace.” – H.E. Ambassador Mohamed Fathi Ahmed Edrees
H.E. Ambassador Liberata Mulamula, Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on Women, Peace and Security, warned that digital technologies are increasingly being weaponised to exclude women from public life and peace processes. She noted that online threats can turn into physical ones, particularly in conflict-affected settings where protection mechanisms are already fragile.
“When technology can fabricate images, manipulate voices and spread disinformation, it can destroy reputations, undermine credibility and silence women whose leadership is essential to peace.” – H.E. Ambassador Liberata Mulamula
The Special Envoy recalled that the African Union Peace and Security Council, at its 1334th meeting in March 2026, recognised the implications of AI and TFGBV for the WPS agenda. The task now, she said, is to close the gap between commitments and the realities facing women in conflict-affected communities. Building on existing continental frameworks, including the AU Continental AI Strategy, she set out four priorities:
1. Integrate TFGBV and AI-related threats into WPS National Action Plans, with clear protection, prevention and accountability measures;
2. Strengthen early warning, timely response and survivor-centred accountability, while protecting identities and personal data;
3. Advance women’s leadership in AI governance and innovation, including through African-led and locally relevant solutions; and
4. Establish a practical follow-up mechanism involving the African Union, Member States, Regional Economic Communities, the United Nations, civil society and technology actors, with clear responsibilities and measurable actions.
“For many years, our advocacy has focused on securing women’s place at the peace table. Today, we must also ensure that technology does not discredit, intimidate or silence them once they are there.” – H.E. Ambassador Liberata Mulamula
H.E. Ambassador Jainaba Jagne, African Union Special Envoy for Children Affected by Conflict, highlighted the risks facing children, particularly girls, noting that digital platforms facilitate grooming, recruitment and exploitation by armed actors. She called for investment in safe and responsible digital solutions that strengthen conflict analysis and identify emerging trends, and that empower women and children as partners in protection.
“Our collective responsibility is clear. We must ensure that the digital space does not become another theatre of violence, intimidation and recruitment, but rather an enabling environment for prevention, protection, participation and peacebuilding.” – H.E. Ambassador Jainaba Jagne
Experts and practitioners taking part in the dialogue emphasised that digital abuse against women peacebuilders, mediators, journalists, human rights defenders and political leaders is not simply an individual safety concern: coordinated attacks damage women’s credibility, weaken their networks and discourage their participation. They stressed that survivor-centred responses must go beyond removing harmful content, and that women must be recognised not only as beneficiaries of protection but also as innovators, experts and decision-makers shaping technology policy and governance.
These efforts build on the African Union’s normative frameworks, including the Maputo Protocol, the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection, the Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy and the African Union Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (AU CEVAWG).
The dialogue forms part of the African Union’s engagement during WPS Week 2026. It contributes to efforts to advance women’s meaningful participation in peace and security, strengthen continental responses to emerging digital threats, and foster collaboration among the African Union, Member States, Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms, the United Nations and its agencies, civil society and technology actors.
© 2026 Peace and Security Council of the African Union
