By Vanja Kovac-Strom and Dina El-Mamoun

Across Yemen, civilians—particularly women and girls—are facing an emerging form of harm that blurs the boundaries between physical and digital violence. This specific form of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) is on the rise, driven by fear, entrenched social norms, and impunity. The threat is especially acute when perpetrators are members of the security forces in a country where numerous armed actors operate alongside weakened rule-of-law institutions, including those responsible for holding security forces accountable.

Once private photos, messages, or contact lists are accessed, copied, or misused by perpetrators, women find themselves subjected to threats and extortion. The result is a form of abuse that combines coercion, humiliation, and fear—what is increasingly recognized as cyber-sextortion.

Cyber-sextortion, defined as the use of personal or intimate digital content to blackmail, control, or coerce individuals, is becoming one of the most prevalent forms of TFGBV in conflict-affected environments.

In Yemen, sextortion is a daily reality for many women and girls. The unlawful appropriation and misuse of private digital data compounds existing protection risks and represents a profound violation of privacy, dignity, and personal security. This form of TFGBV demonstrates how online harm swiftly spills into—and amplifies—danger in women’s offline lives, eroding their safety far beyond the digital realm.

This violence does not occur in isolation. It reflects broader patterns of gendered control, surveillance, and pervasive impunity that have intensified throughout the conflict. Women often lack safe reporting channels, adequate legal protections, or essential psychosocial support. According to UN Women, globally between 16% and 58% of women have experienced TFGBV. Studies also indicate that in Arab States, up to 60% of women internet users have faced online violence. In a context where social stigma can be as punishing as the crime itself, many survivors remain silent. The result is a largely hidden epidemic of digital coercion: one that undermines women’s safety, dignity, and meaningful participation in public life.

At Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), we recognize that modern conflicts increasingly extend into the digital realm. The same power dynamics and exploitative practices that characterize physical violence are now mirrored—and often amplified—online. When digital tools are used to intimidate, silence, or harm civilians, this should be understood as part of the broader continuum of conflict-related violence.

The practice of phone inspections and subsequent cyber-sextortion should not be viewed as isolated misconduct but as a protection issue and, in some cases, a form of conflict-related sexual exploitation and abuse. It demands the same level of attention, accountability, and prevention as other forms of violence against civilians.

Addressing this challenge requires coordinated action:

• Authorities and armed actors must hold all those suspected of TFGBV accountable, take concrete steps to end abuse of power by security forces, and implement clear codes of conduct that protect privacy and prevent digital exploitation.

• Protection actors and organizations working on gender equality, both national and international, should integrate TFGBV into civilian harm monitoring, survivor assistance, and accountability frameworks.

• Donors and implementing partners must invest in digital literacy, awareness, and safe reporting mechanisms for women and girls, fostering ethical digital citizenship and resilience.

• Civil society organizations need support to provide psychological, legal, and digital protection services for survivors.

Cyber-sextortion in Yemen represents a new frontier of civilian harm and reveals how digital tools can be weaponized in conflict. Effectively addressing it requires expanding our understanding of civilian protection to include the digital spaces where lives are increasingly lived—and increasingly compromised.

Protecting civilians today means safeguarding both their physical and digital integrity. As technology becomes further intertwined with conflict dynamics, ensuring that women and girls can participate safely in society—online and offline—must become central to efforts aimed at preventing and responding to civilian harm.

Vanja Kovac-Strom is the Senior Gender Adviser at CIVIC and Dina El-Mamoun is the Yemen Country Director at CIVIC.