SETDAB is proud to support the UN’s 16 Days of Activism campaign from 25 November to 10 December 2025, a global initiative to end violence against women and uphold human rights.
This year’s focus is on technology-facilitated abuse, where everyday devices and apps are misused by perpetrators to monitor, control, and harm victims and survivors.
SETDAB will launch activity with its annual conference, bringing together over 200 delegates from across Essex, including leaders, professionals, survivors, and community champions. Key services such as police, housing, health, social care, probation and voluntary organisations will unite to share best practice and strengthen partnerships, ensuring everyone across Essex affected by domestic abuse gets the support they need.
Dame Nicole Jacobs, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, will join the event virtually to highlight the growing challenge of technology-facilitated abuse. Nicole says:
“Technology is a huge part of day-to-day life, but it is increasingly being weaponised by perpetrators to monitor, control and harm. It’s essential that we sharpen our knowledge and work together to ensure abusers are held to account and online spaces are made safer for victim-survivors.”
Expert Voices and real stories highlight digital abuse
Conference attendees will hear from leading voices working to bring visibility to technology-facilitated abuse.
- Dr Leonie Tanczer from University College London will explore how technology impacts safety, including online abuse and privacy, and how her research shapes protective policies.
- Georgia Harrison will join via video to share her experience of image-based abuse and her campaign for stronger online safety laws.
- The Essex Youth Service will premiere video content created by young people, highlighting real experiences of digital abuse including harmful trends in gaming and social media.
Look out for several initiatives taking place across Essex during the 16 Days of Activism, aimed at raising awareness and encouraging action to end domestic abuse.
Download the 16 Days of Activism Toolkit from setdab.org
If you’re an organisation in Southend, Essex or Thurrock, access the toolkit and share across your social channels to amplify the message.
SETDAB remain steadfast in its commitment to help victims and survivors of domestic abuse across Essex, to recover and thrive.
Image-based abuse, also referred to as so-called “revenge porn” is a crime. Image-based abuse is when someone takes, shares, or threatens to share sexually explicit images or videos of another person without their knowledge or consent. Image based abuse also includes digitally created or altered images that depicts the victim in a sexually explicit way, this is known as ‘deepfakes’.
If you are affected by issues raised in this article, there is help available from your local domestic abuse service Essex Compass, call 0330 333 7 444. If you are in immediate danger, always call 999.
