Speeches

Statement by Her Excellency Ms Mmamoloko Tryphosa Kubayi, MP Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development of the Republic of South Africa, at the High-Level Thematic Meeting: Leveraging technology to secure Women's Leadership and Empowered Participation in Public Life, 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, United Arab Emirates, 28 September 2026

Programme Director,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

South Africa welcomes SAFE-T as an important initiative and commends the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Government of the United Arab Emirates for bringing renewed international focus to the growing challenge of technology-facilitated violence against women. The SAFE-T Initiative comes at a critical moment, as societies around the world seek to harness the opportunities of the digital age while confronting its emerging risks.

Technology has transformed the way we live, work and participate in society. It has expanded access to education, entrepreneurship, justice, public services and political participation. It has enabled women and girls to build businesses, lead institutions, advocate for their communities and connect across borders in unprecedented ways.

However, as digital opportunities have expanded, so too have digital threats. Women and girls are increasingly subjected to online harassment, cyberstalking, image-based abuse, doxxing and other forms of technology-facilitated violence that seek to intimidate, silence and exclude them from public life. These harms undermine safety, dignity, mental wellbeing and equal participation in our societies.

Excellencies,

For South Africa, this issue is particularly significant as the country continues to confront the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide. We therefore recognise that technology-facilitated violence against women is not simply a cybercrime issue. It is a human rights issue; It is an access-to-justice issue; and It is a development issue. Most importantly, it is a challenge to our collective commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women.

South Africa has responded through a combination of legislative reforms, institutional strengthening and technological innovation. Significant reforms have been undertaken to strengthen protections for victims of gender-based violence and femicide, improve accountability and enhance access to justice. These reforms were specifically designed to close legal gaps, strengthen victim protection and prevent secondary victimisation.

At the same time, we have embraced technology as an instrument of access to justice. South Africa has introduced online protection order services and electronic repositories for domestic violence protection orders to make justice services more accessible, responsive and victim-centred. Through the Integrated Justice System, we continue to modernise and digitise the criminal justice value chain to improve service delivery and ensure that technology serves the interests of victims and communities.

However, we are equally conscious that emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and deepfake technology, are creating new threats that disproportionately affect women leaders, journalists, public representatives, activists and young women. These developments require criminal justice systems to continuously adapt, innovate and cooperate internationally.

Excellencies,

South Africa believes that our response must move beyond recognition of the problem towards concrete action. In this regard, South Africa commits itself to five priority areas over and above the ratification of the cybercrime convention

First, we will continue strengthening our legislative and policy frameworks to ensure that technology-facilitated violence against women is effectively prevented, investigated, prosecuted and punished. Our criminal justice systems must evolve as rapidly as the technologies that criminals seek to exploit.

Second, South Africa will accelerate the digital transformation of the justice sector through the Integrated Justice System to ensure greater accessibility, efficiency and responsiveness, particularly for women, children and vulnerable persons seeking justice.

Third, we will strengthen specialised support services for victims by improving digital reporting mechanisms, enhancing victim-centred responses and building the capacity of prosecutors, investigators, magistrates and specialised courts to address online harms targeting women and girls. South Africa's Sexual Offences Courts and Domestic Violence Courts will remain central to this effort.

Fourth, we will invest in increasing women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), digital literacy, cyber-awareness and online safety initiatives aimed at empowering women and girls to participate confidently, safely and meaningfully in digital spaces. Digital inclusion must be accompanied by digital safety.

Fifth, South Africa will continue to strengthen international cooperation, technical assistance and capacity-building efforts to combat technology-facilitated violence against women and related cyber-enabled crimes. No country can address these challenges in isolation. Effective responses require partnerships across governments, international organisations, civil society and the private technology sector. We will utilise our SADC Chairship to mobilise countries in the region and broadly on the continent.

We therefore welcome the launch of the SAFE-T Initiative and the Framework for Action on Ending Technology-Facilitated Violence Against Women as important contributions towards a coherent and coordinated global response. The accompanying Digital Safety Toolkit and Global Hub for Digital Safety offer practical instruments that can assist Member States in translating commitments into action.

Excellencies,

As we navigate the digital age, we must ensure that technological progress advances human dignity, equality and justice. Women should never be forced to choose between their safety and their participation in public life. Girls should never have their aspirations diminished by fear of abuse in digital spaces. Societies cannot achieve inclusive and sustainable development if women are excluded from the very platforms that increasingly shape economic, political and social life.

In conclusion,

South Africa remains committed to working with all partners to build a digital future that protects rights, promotes equality and empowers women to lead. South Africa remains committed to working together with UNDOC to ensure that technology becomes a force for inclusion, opportunity and empowerment for all women and girls.

I thank you.