LAHORE – A multi-stakeholder roundtable titled “End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls” was held at the School of Media and Communication Studies (SMCS), University of Management and Technology (UMT) on Thursday, bringing together senior voices from media, academia, civil society and government to discuss the rising tide of online abuse targeting women.
Organised by SpeakUp with Kamray, SMCS-UMT and WISE, the discussion focused on the urgent need for stronger protections, improved reporting mechanisms and broader awareness regarding digital harassment.
Punjab Parliamentary Secretary for Women Development, Sadia Taimoor, attended as chief guest. She said the provincial government was working to strengthen digital safety laws and expand support systems for victims of cyber harassment. Ensuring safer online spaces, she noted, was essential for women’s empowerment and participation in the digital economy.
Founder of SpeakUp with Kamray, Ahsan Kamray, called for collective responsibility from media institutions, policymakers and society to curb digital abuse. He reaffirmed his platform’s commitment to amplifying voices against online violence and advancing national advocacy campaigns.
A diverse panel contributed to the dialogue, including senior journalist Suhail Warraich, Dr. Naushaba Hassan Murad, Founder of WILL, Prof. Dr. Anjum Zia, Dean SMCS-UMT, Sam Dada, Chairperson FPCCI Committee on National Economic Policies & Reforms, Bushra Khaliq, Executive Director WISE, Muneeza Butt, Women Protection Officer Multan, Sarfraz Ali, Head of Social Media at Daily Pakistan Global, Javeria Ajmal, Podcast Host at Aik News, Hina Salman, Morning Show Host at NEO News, civil society representatives Shahnawaz Khan and Dure Shawar, Zanaya Chaudhary, Victim Support Officer, Punjab Police, and M. Taha from the corporate sector.
Speakers highlighted the rise in cyber harassment, non-consensual image sharing, online hate campaigns and the psychological harm inflicted on women and girls in digital spaces. They stressed the need for stricter enforcement of cybercrime laws, enhanced reporting pathways and digital literacy initiatives to counter online abuse.
The session was moderated by Dr. Aimen Khalid, Associate Professor at SMCS-UMT, who said the dialogue sought to develop actionable recommendations for policymakers, educators and digital safety advocates.
The event concluded with a collective call to safeguard women and girls online and to transform digital platforms into spaces of empowerment rather than fear. Students from SMCS-UMT were also in attendance.
