Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen on Sunday emphasised that digital spaces are now central to political engagement and must be safe for women’s participation and said women’s political participation is essential for inclusive democracy.

“Women’s political participation is essential for inclusive democracy, sustainable development and lasting peace. When women are silenced - whether through digital harassment, character attacks, threats, or physical violence - entire societies lose out,” said the Ambassador while speaking at a dialogue.

The dialogue laid emphasis on exploring how they can strengthen legal protections, promote digital safety, hold perpetrators accountable and empower women to participate in politics without fear.

The Royal Norwegian Embassy and the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, in collaboration with UN Women, hosted the high-level dialogue titled ‘Power Without Fear: Ending Digital and Gender-Based Violence Against Women in Politics’ as part of the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence (GBV) campaign under the theme ‘UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls’.

The event convened political party representatives, young women leaders, civil society, academics, journalists, gender experts, development partners and diplomats to address the current threats women face in political life.

Held at the Norwegian Residence, the dialogue focused on how digital violence has emerged as a modern barrier to democratic participation.

As Bangladesh approaches its national elections, women engaged in political activities find themselves increasingly targets of online harassment, intimidation, gendered misinformation, and coordinated smear campaigns that often extend into real-world harm.

Ambassador of Switzerland to Bangladesh Reto Renggli underscored that preventing gender-based violence is not only a crucial issue in general, but also especially relevant in view of the upcoming elections in Bangladesh.

“Women played a significant role in last year's historic events in Bangladesh. Their participation showed a clear aspiration: equal representation in political life,” he said, adding that they certainly hope that the current democratic transition will honour these aspirations and ensure women's political participation and representation at all levels.

The dialogue used a fishbowl format, allowing a continuous rotation of speakers and creating an open environment for sharing experience.

The discussion highlighted common forms of digital and offline violence faced by women in politics; psychological, political, and practical impacts of such violence on women’s participation, and the lack of support for female politicians facing digital abuse; prevalent forms of online harassment, including cyberstalking, doxxing, and smear campaigns; political party responses and institutional gaps in addressing gender-based violence.

It also mentioned that every political party should include measures to address digital violence in their mandate and adopt strategies to improve digital resilience, online safety and support structures for women leaders.

The dialogue highlighted strategies to improve digital resilience, online safety, and support structures for women leaders including mental health support for survivors.

It also talked about integrating digital literacy and online etiquette into educational curricula to promote responsible digital behavior and fostering collaboration between political parties and civil society organisations to act as a strong social pressure group.

Participants noted that digital attacks often silence women before they even consider entering public life, creating long-term consequences for equal representation in politics and democratic governance.

Emerging technologies are reshaping political discourse and without adequate safeguards, women will face deeper exclusion.

They consistently highlighted the need for stronger legal frameworks, responsive institutions and improved digital literacy.

UN Women Representative Gitanjali Singh said according to the CEDAW General Recommendation 40 the global standard now is not 33% but parity - equality in access and equal power within decision making structures.

“The evidence is clear that greater representation of women in policymaking leads to better outcomes for everyone. Political parties must commit to zero tolerance to violence against women and girls both online and offline,” Gitanjali said.

“An inter party women's caucus will ensure across party lines key gender equality issues are championed and it will also serve as a solidarity group. Let us ensure women and girls enjoy their full spectrum of rights because women and girls rights are human rights,” she added.

Participants identified several priorities for action, including stronger accountability within political parties, dedicated mechanisms to report and respond to digital violence, expanded cyber safety training for women in politics, research on digital GBV and community-level initiatives to challenge harmful social norms.

The United Nations is implementing an electoral assistance initiative supporting Bangladesh’s upcoming national parliamentary elections in February 2026, with funding from the Governments of Norway and Switzerland.