By the time most girls are celebrating their sixteenth birthday, two in five globally have already experienced some form of violence.
This 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (25 November–10 December), Australian charity DV Safe Phone is urging businesses and community groups to join a nationwide ’16 Day Challenge’ – because every woman and girl deserves to feel safe.
Everywhere. Always.
Alarming numbers
Over a quarter of Australian girls have been sexually solicited on the internet before adulthood, and 80 percent of girls globally encountered their first incident of social media harassment between the ages of 14 and 16.
The recent Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) trial introduced in the Federal Online Safety Act will raise the minimum age for social media access from 13 to 16 from 10 December this year. This policy amendment is the recognition of the harms associated with social media use, suggesting that by sixteen, young Australians are beyond the most vulnerable stage of adolescence.
While age restrictions aim to help reduce exposure to harm in the long term, the immediate issue remains: abuse is already happening, and it is becoming more digitally entrenched. In fact, 16 per cent of child sexual abuse victims who face frequent harassment even change how they express themselves online to avoid abuse.
Furthermore, Australian women who experience multiple forms of childhood abuse – such as physical or sexual abuse or witnessing domestic violence – face up to ten times the risk of being revictimised by violence as adults.
Mobile phones
With perpetrators exploiting the digital landscape to exert control, mobile phones are increasingly weaponised through spyware and location tracking, cutting victims and survivors off from support networks and maintain control.
Ashton Wood, Founder and CEO of DV Safe Phone, says the statistics paint a disturbing picture of how early coercive control begins.
‘Abuse is terrible at any age, but knowing young girls are experiencing this before finishing high school is deeply concerning. By 16, technology that should connect them to friends and family positively, is instead being used to monitor, track, and isolate them.
‘Without access to a safe, private device, victims cannot call for help, access support services, or even communicate with people they trust. This leaves young girls feeling trapped and perpetuates the cycle of abuse,’ said Mr Wood.
DV Safe Phone
This was the case for a teenage victim who received a refurbished safe phone from one of DV Safe Phone’s agency partners.
‘After discovering that her perpetrator was tracking all her devices and the vehicles she travelled in, she was left isolated and vulnerable. Receiving a safe phone allowed her to stay connected with family and support networks without fear of being monitored.
‘Stories like hers are a powerful reminder that a safe phone is more than just a device – it’s a lifeline,’ said Ashton Wood.
Milestone
Launched in 2020, DV Safe Phone has recently achieved a timely milestone, distributing over 16,000 safe phones to victims and survivors escaping domestic violence.
They are now striving to reach a milestone of 18,000 phones, 18,000 lifelines distributed by year’s end, to help address the urgent need to protect the next generation of vulnerable girls.
This year, the charity is inviting Australian businesses and community groups to Join the 16 Day Challenge by pledging their support to help the charity reach this goal.
Companies can make a tangible, 16-themed commitment – donating 16 phones, contributing $1,600, signing up 16 staff or club members as monthly donors, and walking or cycling 16 kilometres to help break the cycle of gender-based violence.
Lizzie Mettam, Corporate Partnerships Manager at DV Safe Phone, says the campaign provides an opportunity for businesses and clubs to make a measurable impact that aligns with their values.
‘The corporate sector has enormous potential to create social change. By joining the 16 Day Challenge, businesses can support victims directly, while also achieving tangible ESG outcomes and demonstrating alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Gender Equality and Responsible Consumption.
‘Whether it’s collecting phones in the workplace, fundraising, or volunteering, these activities can foster team connection and pride, while driving measurable outcomes for social good. Every phone or dollar donated helps ensure a victim has access to a safe, private device – one that could ultimately save their life,’ said Ms Mettam.
Technology for good
As technology becomes an increasingly common weapon in domestic violence, with over one quarter of cases involving the technology-facilitated abuse of children, DV Safe Phone is calling on Australian organisations and individuals to donate their old, unused phones to protect their daughters, nieces, sisters and granddaughters from becoming another statistic of lifelong domestic and family violence.
To find out more about how individuals and workplaces can get involved, head to https://dvsafephone.org/16days.
‘A safer future for our girls isn’t just a hope,’ said Ashton Wood. ‘It’s a responsibility.’
