When I was growing up, I often heard stories of people, especially women being trolled online. At that age, I thought it only happened to celebrities but later in high school, I realized it wasn’t just them. My classmates whispered about how unsafe social media felt. Some were body-shamed, others received unsolicited or explicit messages from strangers. We didn’t have the language to call it a violation. We thought it was “normal” because no one told us that what happens online is real, that it leaves emotional bruises just as deep as those that happen offline.
At that time, I didn’t know we were facing something called technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) or that it could be reported. We didn’t even know who to tell. Like many girls and young women, we carried it quietly, assuming this was just the price of being visible online but during the Safe to Learn, Ready to Lead Virtual Solutions session hosted by UNICEF, Safe to Learn and Plan International on the sidelines of the World Summit for Social Development, we were reminded that digital spaces can and should be inherently safe.
As Farida Ally, Global Partnership for Education Youth Leader in Kenya said so powerfully: “Access without safety is not progress.” She is right. It is not enough to connect children to the internet. We must also protect them within it. We need strong reporting systems that actually work, and we must equip parents and guardians to recognize harm and respond.
Safe to Learn’s Catherine Flogothier reminded us: “We can’t provide solutions for what we don’t understand.” Digital literacy must be embedded in school curricula not as an optional subject, but as a life skill. Governments must invest in research, and parents must engage with the digital realities their children face.
We heard about how Indonesia is taking steps to protect children and young people online. Rusprita Putri Utami, Head of the Center for Character Strengthening at the Ministry of Education, Indonesia, set out how digital literacy is embedded in the national curriculum as an essential life skill.
Justin Fugle, Director of Policy at Plan International USA emphasized something I deeply resonate with: “Safety by design is possible.” Social media doesn’t have to be a space we warn each other about. It can be a space for learning, activism, and creativity—if platforms are designed with people, especially women and children, in mind.
Online safety is a collective responsibility from governments to civil society, the private sector, and young people themselves. As Tara Painter, Deputy Director of Education at Global Affairs Canada said, “No single actor can solve this alone.”
Closing words from Aseel Soboh, Strategic Engagement Lead with the Refugee Education Council stayed with me: “Young people are policy shapers.” For too long, youth have only been consulted after decisions are made. If we want digital spaces that reflect our realities, policies must be shaped by our lived experiences.
As a young feminist, I believe safety is not just protection, it’s power. It’s about creating systems where girls, women, and marginalized groups can learn, lead, and thrive without fear.
Connectivity without safety is not progress. Education without inclusion is not justice. Digital access without accountability is not freedom.
We can build a world where technology empowers not exploits. Where schools teach not just math and grammar, but digital dignity and consent. A world where every girl and young person who logs in feels safe to learn and ready to lead.
Margaret Njeri Waithiegeni is a Plan International Youth Activist.
