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The Women Development Center, University of Sargodha, organized an awareness walk and a seminar in connection with the global campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence”, under the theme “Unite to End Digital Violence Against All Women"
A documentary was screened highlighting Technology Facilitated Violence (TFV) against women and marginalized groups, drawing attention to the growing misuse of digital tools to target specific genders.
In her opening remarks, Dr Nargis Abbas, Associate Professor & Incharge Women Development Centre, said digital platforms are increasingly being used to stalk, harass and abuse women and girls. She noted that the purpose of the campaign is to draw public attention to online harms such as non-consensual sharing of images, cyberbullying, trolling, online threats and AI-generated deepfakes.
Dr. Saiam Kausar, Assistant Prof. Department of Communication and Media Studies, discussed the rising threat posed by AI and deepfake technologies, stressing how the misuse of information and manipulated content can damage reputations and reinforce gender-based discrimination. She also emphasized on the role of the media in Pakistan for highlighting these issues and briefed participants on existing legal protections, including the PECA Act 2016 and the role of the FIA in addressing such offences.
Keynote speaker Dr. Sadia Malik, Associate Prof. Department of Psychology, spoke about the psychological dimensions of digital violence and its impact on victims’ mental health, highlighting trauma, anxiety and long-term emotional distress linked to online harassment, and the relevant coping strategies.
Ms Shazia Noureen Bangash, CEO of Mumtaz & Co., shed the light on the possible online fraudulent in the business transactions and shared the real-life experience. She also emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts between families, educational institutions, civil society, and law enforcement in ensuring women’s safety. She urged communities to actively support victims, raise awareness about online risks, and foster digital literacy among young women.
In the concluding remarks, Dr Nargis Abbas thank the esteemed Chairpersons of departments, teaching faculty and students for their participation, cooperation of ORIC, and highlighted the vision of the VC Prof. Dr Qaisar Abbas in developing the university of Sargodha as the model university for the other universities.  
Following the seminar, an awareness walk was conducted from the Noon Business School to Liberary Chowk, with faculty members and a large number of students participating to highlight the importance of women’s safety and digital empowerment.
The Women Development Center announced that it will conduct a series of workshops, webinars and social media campaigns from Nov 25 to Dec 10 as part of the ongoing global activism drive.