Nighat Dad: How Pakistani women are taking the internet back

How Pakistani women are taking the internet back

TED Fellow Nighat Dad studies online harassment, especially as it relates to patriarchal cultures like the one in her small village in Pakistan. She tells the story of how she set up Pakistan's first cyber harassment helpline, offering support to women who face serious threats online. "Safe access to the internet is access to knowledge, and knowledge is freedom," she says. "When I fight for a woman's digital rights, I am fighting for equality."

Cyberharassment silences women across Pakistan, sometimes with deadly consequences, and keeps many from using the internet as a path to knowledge and opportunity. In a country where only 15 percent have internet access and cultural barriers restrict women's freedom, surviving online can require as much courage as surviving offline. One woman challenged these norms by launching the region’s first cyberharassment helpline, giving support to those threatened in digital spaces. Safe internet access is not just a tool but a gateway to equality and freedom.