Building Equitable Masculinities and Safe Digital Spaces: HeForShe Alliance Action Ahead of the 2025 Summit

On 23 September 2025, the global HeForShe community will come together for the annual HeForShe Summit centered on a theme of urgent importance: “Equitable Masculinities and Safe Digital Spaces.” The Summit theme aligns closely with the upcoming 16 Days of Activism campaign, which will call on the world to “End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls.” As online environments play an increasingly central role in shaping lives, the need to address the risks of digital violence, particularly for women and girls, has never been more critical. 

Digital platforms hold extraordinary potential to connect, empower, and amplify voices. Yet they have also become spaces where misogyny, harassment, and disinformation flourish. A growing concern is the rise of the manosphere, a sprawling online ecosystem that promotes regressive gender norms and toxic models of masculinity. These harmful narratives, often targeting young men, distort understandings of relationships and gender roles while contributing to the normalization of violence against women and girls. 

In response, the HeForShe Alliance, a coalition of global leaders from government, business, and civil society, is working collectively to tackle digital violence and reimagine safer online futures. Their efforts demonstrate that progress is possible when diverse actors align behind a shared mission. 

One powerful example came earlier this year when Alliance members issued a Joint Open Letter  calling for action against online misogyny. This public call underscored the urgent need for systemic solutions, urging technology companies, governments, and civil society to take responsibility for shaping safer online spaces. By bringing together leaders across industries, the letter sent a clear message: ending digital violence is a collective obligation, not an optional commitment. 

Other Alliance members are also breaking new ground. Movember recently released research into how young men engage with online masculinity influencers, offering rare insights into how these voices shape attitudes, health, and relationships. This evidence provides a foundation for designing interventions that disrupt harmful narratives and foster healthier, more inclusive masculinities. 

At the same time, MTN has expanded its Child Online Protection Programme, strengthening collaborations with partners such as the Internet Watch Foundation. This work provides practical safeguards against technology-facilitated gender-based violence and supports the protection of women and girls in digital spaces. 

Vodafone, through the Vodafone Foundation, has used its global reach to raise awareness and connect survivors with resources. Its 2024 ‘16 Days of Activism’ campaign reached 27.7 million people and resulted in more than 200,000 accesses to the Bright Sky platform, the highest level of engagement to date. The Bright Sky app, now downloaded over 1.2 million times across 13 markets, offers survivors vital tools and is supported by a newly expanded website with resources for women, girls, and their support networks. 

Together, these interventions reflect the spirit of the upcoming Summit: collective action to dismantle harmful digital cultures and to build equitable masculinities that thrive both online and offline. 

This work, along with other initiatives, will be featured in the HeForShe 2025 Impact Report, which will be officially launched at the Summit. The report will provide a deeper look at how Alliance members are driving solutions that make digital spaces safer, more inclusive, and more empowering for ALL women and girls.