By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi
PESHAWAR: The Zalmi Foundation, in collaboration with UN Women and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, marked the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence with a youth-focused event that combined women’s cricket with a showcase on digital safety.
Held under the theme “From the Field to the Feed: Standing Strong Against Digital Violence,” the initiative highlighted how sports, technology, and community engagement can work together to protect women and girls from online abuse. The campaign focused on combating digital forms of gender-based violence, including cyberstalking, harassment, doxxing, identity theft, misinformation, and AI-enabled harm, all of which disproportionately affect women.
Organizers stressed that as online abuse increasingly translates into real-world consequences, stronger protections, innovative digital tools, and inclusive spaces are essential to allow women to participate safely in every arena. The event opened with interactive digital safety booths, where participants explored cybersecurity tools, reporting helplines, and UN-led initiatives designed to prevent online abuse.
Visitors were shown how awareness and accessible technology can transform safety outcomes for women across the province. A highlight of the day was a women’s cricket match, live-streamed nationwide, symbolizing how sports can challenge stereotypes, build confidence, and amplify women’s visibility both online and offline. Jacqui Ketunuti, Deputy Country Representative of UN Women, said: “When women step onto the field—whether a cricket ground or the digital space—they claim their right to participate, to lead, and to be seen.
However, participation is only meaningful when safety is guaranteed. Today’s event shows what is possible when communities, youth, and institutions unite to protect women and girls from digital harm.” Representing the Zalmi Foundation, Mian Abbas Layaq emphasized the organization’s commitment to women’s sports and empowerment, noting that a girl holding a cricket bat asserts her talent, confidence, and right to equal opportunity.
Capt. (Retd) Kamran Ahmed Afridi, Secretary of Higher Education, reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to safeguarding women online, calling digital violence “real violence” with lasting impact. Sumaira Shams, Chairperson of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women, highlighted the importance of safe and equal opportunities, urging strengthened reporting mechanisms and youth engagement.
The event concluded with prize distribution for the winning teams, a Digital Commitment Wall where participants pledged to champion safer online spaces, and an Orange Sky Moment, in which biodegradable balloons filled the air as a symbol of unity, hope, and collective resolve against violence.
The Peshawar event is part of a nationwide series organized by UN Women, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNHCR, and the UN Resident Coordinator Office, in partnership with provincial governments and civil society, which began in Lahore, continued through Quetta, and will culminate in Karachi.
