Samantha Ruth Prabhu Joins UN Women India to Combat Online Abuse

By: WE Staff | Wednesday, 26 November 2025

• Samantha Ruth Prabhu partners with UN Women India for the 2025 16 Days of Activism campaign
• Focus on combating digital violence: harassment, stalking, doxxing, deepfakes, and cyberbullying
• Campaign calls for stronger laws, tech platform accountability, and public awareness

Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu has joined UN Women India for the 2025 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, a global initiative running from 25 November to 10 December. This year’s theme, “UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls,” puts a sharp focus on the escalating threat of online abuse. The campaign forms part of UN Women’s #NoExcuse movement, calling for stronger accountability from legal systems and technology platforms.

With more than 37 million followers, Samantha will leverage her influence to spotlight the dangers women and girls face in digital spaces ranging from online harassment and stalking to doxxing, deepfakes, manipulated images, cyberbullying, and trolling. Reflecting on her own experiences in the public eye, she noted that violence “no longer happens only in physical spaces; it follows us onto screens, silences our voices, and destroys reputations.”

The campaign underscores the urgency of addressing digital gender-based violence one of the fastest-growing forms of abuse worldwide. Globally, 38% of women have experienced online violence, and in India, cybercrimes against women have more than doubled in recent years. Despite the scale of the issue, 44% of women and girls worldwide remain without legal protection.

Through this partnership, Samantha will amplify the message that online violence is real violence, advocating for stronger laws, survivor-centred digital policies, and transparent safety measures from tech companies. The initiative also reinforces India’s recent amendments to IT Rules, which mandate platform accountability, faster removal of harmful content, and enhanced privacy safeguards for women and girls.