At the sidelines of the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi, the UAE unveiled the SAFE-T initiative.^[1][2]Headed under the patronage of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, it is a collaboration between the General Women’s Union (GWU), the Ministry of Justice (providing support and seed funding), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). ^[1]

The programme is a part of the UAE’s general effort in supporting women’s role in the development and betterment of the nation. It focuses on technology-facilitated violence against women and girls, which includes threats, abuse, blackmail and defamation that occur through digital channels. ^[1]

SAFE-T is not new legislation, but it indicates where the future focus and rule-making lies. As technology grows, it is important to keep adapting to evolving concerns, especially those affecting already vulnerable identities.

GLOBAL STAGE FOR THE LAUNCH

At a major international gathering, SAFE-T was launched. The UAE had taken over the presidency of the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice on Saturday 26th September 2026, the opening day. The Minister of Justice Abdullah Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi was elected as president. ^[3]

Over 110 countries had delegates, and the organisers called it the largest gathering in the Congress’s 71-year history. ^[3][4] During the opening ceremony, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed called for justice systems that protect women and girls from technology-facilitated violence.^[3] The congress also adopted the Abu Dhabi Declaration on the first day to guide international action on crime prevention, justice and rule of law over the next five years. Discussions that day also covered technology-facilitated gender-based violence and the protection of women, children and youth. ^[5] SAFE-T was launched three days later, on Tuesday 29 September, on the sidelines of the Congress, with ministers, UN officials and judicial and legislative representatives present. ^[1][2]

IMPORTANCE OF DIGITAL SAFETY FOR WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION

UN Women places technology-facilitated violence within the broader spectrum of violence against women and girls. Its strategy points towards harmful gender norms, weak regulation of technology, and lack of data and services as some of the causes.^[6] A UNODC and UN Women webinar in December 2025 made the same link between online and offline violence, with experts saying technology can enable harm in both spaces.^[7]

At the launch, Sheikha Fatima described technology as central to learning, work and innovation, but said women can only benefit fully if rights, privacy and dignity are protected.^[1] She argued that online threats, abuse, blackmail and defamation can hold women back from speaking out, taking initiative and joining public life.^[1] When a woman becomes visible online and abuse follows, she often does not fight it publicly but goes quiet and posts less.^[2] The programme therefore combines protection with opportunity, and that includes work on the digital divide.^[1]

WHAT DOES SAFE-T ENTAIL?

Sheikha Fatima bint, the patron of the launch, highlighted that the effect of technology-facilitated violence affects not only the individual victim but also their social and economic participation. In response, she called for legislation, policies, protection, justice, awareness and shared responsibility among governments, international organisations, technology companies and civil society. ^[1] She also described SAFE-T as a practical framework for turning international commitments into tools that countries and institutions can use.^[1]

The first phase of the program develops the core infrastructure. It includes a digital safety toolkit, a Global Coalition for Digital Safety, and the UN Women strategy on preventing and eliminating technology-facilitated violence against women and girls. ^[1][2]

Published in 2025, the UN Women strategy sets out five pathways for action: strengthening norms and standards, expanding data and evidence, transforming social norms and digital ecosystems, improving survivor-centred and justice-focused responses, and amplifying women’s voice, agency, digital resilience and leadership.^[6] It is described as a roadmap for UN Women and its partners.^[6] At the launch, Sheikha Fatima welcomed it and said she hoped it would help unify efforts and strengthen multilateral coordination.^[1] A shared strategy of this kind can give participating countries a common reference point.

It is built around a framework called UPSTANDER, supported by nine strategies.^[1]

1. widening women’s educational, technological, professional and leadership opportunities to close the digital divide
2. building partnerships
3. supporting victims and survivors
4. transparency, oversight and accountability in the technology sector
5. community solidarity and advocacy
6. zero tolerance for digital abuse
7. effective law enforcement and an end to impunity
8. education, training and digital literacy
9. standardised reporting and data collection to inform evidence-based policy

Support, prevention and data account for most of the list. Just two strategies touch enforcement directly.^[1][2]

Overall, it is a comprehensive mechanism that ensures all facets are properly covered. The support aspect helps empower women rather than focusing only on punishing perpetrators, with the technology sector calling for more transparency to improve accountability and an enforcement mechanism to address issues as they arise.

The GWU also pointed to its Cyber Pulse Initiative for Women and Family, run with the UAE Cyber Security Council, which has been expanded internationally as the Cyber Pulse Academy for Women and Family.^[1] The Cyber Pulse Initiative for Women and Family shows the same approach at the national level. Launched in 2022 by the GWU with the UAE Cyber Security Council, it trains women in cybersecurity, and each trainee is expected to pass on awareness and train other women.^[8] The initiative’s second cohort has now graduated, and a new strategy aims to reach 25 million beneficiaries over five years.^[9]

EXISTING LEGISLATION

Though SAFE-T has enforcement through legislation as one of its stated aims, it has yet to elaborate on it. However, the current main instrument that governs digital abuse is Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on Countering Rumours and Cybercrimes. Article 43 and Article 44 being the two provisions that are most relevant to digital abuse.^[10]

Article 43 covers defamation and slander through an information network or system. Insulting another person, or attributing to them something that would expose them to punishment or contempt, is punishable by imprisonment, a fine of AED 250,000 to AED 500,000, or both. The offence is aggravated where the victim is a public official acting in or because of their duties.^[10]

Article 44 covers revealing secrets and invading privacy. Using an information network, system or technology with the intention of invading someone’s private or family life without consent is punishable by at least six months’ imprisonment, a fine of AED 150,000 to AED 500,000, or both.^[10] The article goes on to list the conduct it covers, and commentators read that list as reaching the unauthorised capture and publication of images and recordings, including altered ones.

These provisions are written in neutral terms and do not refer to women specifically. They apply to anyone who is targeted online, including women and girls. Therefore, SAFE-T, by naming technology-facilitated violence against women and girls as its main focus and aiming at legislation and policy development, shows a direction towards what further mechanisms might help. This initiative draws attention to particular forms that sex-based violence takes and measures needed to prevent it.

SAFE-T ALONGSIDE A GROWING INTERNATIONAL EFFORT

SAFE-T joins growing international attention to this issue of gender based violence online. The UN Convention against Cybercrime, which opened for signature in October 2025, is described by the UN Secretary-General as the first international treaty to treat the sharing of intimate images without consent as a criminal offence.^[11] The EU’s Directive 2024/1385 requires member states to criminalise non-consensual sharing of intimate images, cyberstalking, cyber harassment and cyber incitement to hatred or violence, with a transposition deadline of 14 June 2027.^[12] In the UK, Ofcom published guidance in November 2025 on how platforms can make life online safer for women and girls under the Online Safety Act.^[13] A group of states, including Australia, Canada, France, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the UK, also works together through the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse.^[14] SAFE-T adds a UAE-led programme with a UN partner to this picture.

LOOKING AHEAD

SAFE-T is at the start of its first phase. Mainly, its infrastructure and framework have been set out, and they have not set out a timetable for later phases. Two features suggest where it may develop. One is the enforcement strategy within UPSTANDER, which names effective law enforcement and an end to impunity as aims.^[1] The other is Sheikha Fatima’s reference to legislation and policy as part of an integrated response.^[1] How these aims take shape will become clearer as the programme moves beyond its first phase.

CONCLUSION

SAFE-T adds a coordinated programme to the legal protections already in place. It does not change what the law prohibits, but it brings the Ministry of Justice, the General Women’s Union and UNODC together around technology-facilitated violence against women and girls. The Cybercrime Law applies to anyone targeted online, and SAFE-T’s focus on women and girls shows continued attention to making digital spaces safe for them.

References

[1] WAM, ‘UAE Launches Global SAFE-T Initiative to Fight Digital Violence Against Women’ Gulf News (Abu Dhabi, 29 September 2026) https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/uae-launches-global-safe-t-initiative-to-fight-digital-violence-against-women-1.500692021 accessed 4 October 2026

[2] ‘UAE Launches Global Initiative to Fight Digital Abuse Against Women’ The National (Abu Dhabi, 29 September 2026) https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2026/09/29/uae-launches-global-initiative-to-fight-digital-abuse-against-women/ accessed 4 October 2026

[3] ‘UAE Hosts Largest Ever UN Crime Congress as Abu Dhabi Welcomes 110 Nations’ Khaleej Times (Dubai, 26 September 2026) https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-largest-un-crime-congress-abu-dhabi-110-nations accessed 4 October 2026

[4] ‘UAE Hosts Largest-Ever UN Crime Congress as 110 Nations Gather in Abu Dhabi’ Dubai Standard (26 September 2026) https://www.dubaistandard.com/uae-hosts-largest-ever-un-crime-congress-as-110-nations-gather-in-abu-dhabi/ accessed 4 October 2026

[5] ‘UN Crime Congress Concludes Day One in Abu Dhabi with Landmark Declaration’ Voice of Emirates (26 September 2026) https://www.voiceofemirates.com/en/news/2026/09/26/un-crime-congress-concludes-day-one-in-abu-dhabi-with-landmark-declaration/ accessed 4 October 2026

[6] UN Women, Strategy: Preventing and Eliminating Technology-Facilitated Violence Against Women and Girls (2025) https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2025/12/un-women-strategy-preventing-and-eliminating-technology-facilitated-violence-against-women-and-girls accessed 4 October 2026

[7] UNODC, ‘Addressing Digital Violence Against Women and Girls’ (Vienna, 10 December 2025) https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/gender/news/addressing-digital-violence-against-women-and-girls.html accessed 4 October 2026

[8] ‘GWU Launches First Cyber Pulse Training Course for Women, Families’ WAM (Abu Dhabi, 22 June 2022) https://www.wam.ae/en/details/1395303060191 accessed 4 October 2026

[9] Abu Dhabi Media Office, ‘Under the patronage of Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed attends graduation ceremony of 2nd cohort of Cyber Pulse Initiative for Women and Family’ (4 June 2025) https://www.mediaoffice.abudhabi/en/education/under-the-patronage-of-sheikha-fatima-bint-mubarak-theyab-bin-mohamed-bin-zayed-attends-graduation-ceremony-of-2nd-cohort-of-cyber-pulse-initiative-for-women-and-family/ accessed 4 October 2026

[10] Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on Countering Rumours and Cybercrimes, UAE Legislation Portal https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1526 accessed 4 October 2026

[11] UN Secretary-General, remarks at the Cybercrime Convention signing ceremony (Hanoi, 25 October 2025) https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statements/2025-10-25/secretary-generals-remarks-the-cybercrime-convention-signing-ceremony-delivered accessed 4 October 2026

[12] ‘Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence Throughout the European Union’ EUR-Lex (summary of Directive (EU) 2024/1385) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/summary/preventing-and-combating-violence-against-women-and-domestic-violence-throughout-the-european-union.html accessed 4 October 2026

[13] Ofcom, ‘A Safer Life Online for Women and Girls’ (25 November 2025) https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/a-safer-life-online-for-women-and-girls accessed 4 October 2026

[14] Joint Statement on Preventing and Responding to Non-Consensual Intimate Image Abuse (10 December 2025), France Diplomatie https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/presse-et-ressources/decouvrir-et-informer/actualites/declaration-conjointe-sur-la-prevention-et-la-reponse-aux-abus-par-des-images-intimessexuelles-non accessed 4 October 2026