OVERVIEW NUMEROUS milestones are being reached on the journey to gender equity and equality, even if that progress is slow and stilted and the path is strewn with hurdles. journalists, are targets of hate and aggression — it is obvious that women of influence, in positions of power and the perceived voice are a vulnerable target. Nowhere is the improvement more noticeable than in the most visibly influential sectors — the media and the legislature. Even when the online confrontation with men is aggressive, the attacks are targeted at their opinions and linked to their positions and status in society. These male dominated spaces which have been stained in patriarchy for decades have opened up to women over the last 15 years and while the progression is slow, it has been steady. Women parliamentarians and senators across the African continent are driving discussions and contributing to policy change. On the media landscape, women are finally breaking through the glass ceiling and being appointed into decision making posts and even heading their own offline and online outlets. These women are positively inspiring change. Since parliament and newsrooms are also the site of intense contestation — there is often strong pushback against the women who effectively and meaningfully contribute to policy change or the ones who shape the way we think. However, they are constantly being challenged. While they are encouraged to be bold, to speak up and to take action, they are constantly and systematically rebuked for not conforming to what is termed ‘cultural norms’. So the very things that are expected of them are the very things they are criticised for. While men and in particular Very rarely are they criticised for their physical appearance nor are they judged for their personal or moral choices. This conflicting behaviour is particularly felt by women who hold opinions and are able to powerfully convey their messages. Perpetrators go back default setting resulting in women facing a barrage of criticism. They are pulled apart if the sentiment they articulate goes against influential personalities, is critical of those in authority or expose corruption through their work. That condemnation is never aimed at their policy position — instead they are viciously taken apart for the way they look, the way they dress or the way they talk. Women are reduced to sexual objects and in many instances, culture and tradition are used as a tool of subjugation. Coupled with the growing culture of impunity — the online space has become a place where freedom of expression is being manipulated and used by online users to spew prejudice inherent in patriarchal societal settings. Since attacks 6 can occur under the cover of anonymity, it prevents offenders from facing consequences which emboldens them and feeds into patriarchal and misogynistic notion that it is acceptable to prey on women online. This offline behaviour translates more aggressively online. What happens offline is enhanced and deepened when it transcends onto the online space. The exclusion from spheres of influence for so long, means women have not sufficiently sharpened their ability to withstand the pressures that come from being in these spaces It also means that being barred for so long and knowing they are open to being labelled and castigated for exercising voice and agency, forces many of these women to approach online platforms spaces warily. This offline behaviour translates more aggressively online. What happens offline is enhanced and deepened when it transcends onto the online space. Therefore, it is crucial that any strategy designed to curb TGBV is underpinned by the critical understanding that what is offline moves online and comes back online — as part of cycle. Approaching it with a ferris wheel design plan is needed for initiatives to deal with online violence against women. It also has to build on activities already being implemented to deal with the growing levels of sexual harassment and gender based violence offline. Our mistake in advocating for change is to see it and treat it as a singular compartmentalised issue.