Indonesia launches SHECURE Digital to protect women online

ITSEC Asia and the United Nations Population Fund have launched a national programme in Indonesia to improve digital safety for women and children amid growing concern over online harassment, data misuse, and digital exploitation.

The initiative, called SHECURE Digital, combines self-protection education, privacy-focused technology, and data-led advocacy. It aims to tackle online gender-based violence and risks such as digital extortion and the non-consensual sharing of intimate content. The launch ceremony was attended by Arifah Choiri Fauzi, Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, and Patrick Dannacher, President Director of ITSEC Asia.

Figures included in the launch materials suggest widespread exposure to digital harm. Nearly two out of three women worldwide have experienced digital violence, according to the materials. In Indonesia, about 7.2 million women have experienced digital violence by non-partners at some point in their lives, based on the 2024 National Survey on Women's Life Experiences. Women aged 15 to 24 are identified as the most affected group in digital spaces.

Three pillars

SHECURE Digital is built around three strands: SHECURE CLASS, SHECURE SHIELD, and SHECURE VOICES. The CLASS pillar focuses on education and digital self-defence literacy for women and adolescents, covering privacy management, account security, personal data protection, and responses to threats such as harassment, fraud, and online misuse of information.

The SHIELD pillar focuses on technical protection. It is described as a privacy-first approach that avoids excessive surveillance and gives users control over their data and digital activities. The VOICES pillar centres on community engagement and advocacy through awareness campaigns and dialogue spaces, with an emphasis on amplifying women's and young people's perspectives in public discussions about online safety.

Dannacher said the programme is intended to narrow the gap between how digital harms occur and how victims recognise them.

"Many women face digital risks without ever labeling them as violence because they are seen as part of everyday online life. We designed SHECURE Digital to bridge this gap through an approach that is practical, relevant, and applicable to daily situations. This is our contribution to strengthening the national agenda for the protection of women and children in the digital era," said Patrick Dannacher, President Director, ITSEC Asia.

UNFPA described the programme as an example of cooperation between government, development partners, and the private sector, and said digital violence can have consequences that extend beyond the online setting.

"Digital violence has real impacts on the mental health, social well being, and future of women and children. SHECURE Digital demonstrates how collaboration between the private sector, development partners, and government can strengthen sustainable and people centered protection," said Hassan Mohtashami, UNFPA Representative, UNFPA.

Policy backdrop

At the launch, the minister linked the programme to a broader policy response to violence against women and the expansion of internet use. She cited national estimates indicating that violence remains widespread across physical, sexual, and psychological categories.

"Data shows us the scale and urgency of violence against women, including in digital spaces. In 2024 alone, an estimated 23.3 million women experienced physical, sexual, or psychological violence, and 7.5 percent of Indonesian women have faced harassment online. This is not a virtual issue with virtual consequences. The impact is real, and so must be our response," she said.

Fauzi also cited recent changes in Indonesia's legal and policy framework, including the Law on the Crime of Sexual Violence; the integration of cyber safety into the 2025 to 2029 National Mid Term Development Plan; Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025; and the Roadmap for Child Protection in the Online Environment 2025 to 2029.

She said rules and enforcement must reach the same platforms where abuse occurs.

"Regulation alone is not enough. Protection must function in the same spaces where violence occurs. Through SHECURE Digital, we are embedding protection directly into Indonesia's digital ecosystem through collaboration with UNFPA and PT ITSEC Asia Tbk. Our responsibility is clear: to ensure that women and girls can participate in the digital future with confidence, dignity, and full protection of their rights," she added.

Security tool

The SHIELD pillar is supported by a product called IntelliBroń Aman, described as an ITSEC Asia security tool for everyday digital use. It is intended to detect potential threats early, including fraud attempts, risky applications, malicious links, and suspicious activity that could compromise data and privacy.

The tool also provides notifications and alerts designed to explain risks in plain language. ITSEC Asia says it uses threat analysis and artificial intelligence and does not collect or exploit users' personal data. The programme contrasts this approach with monitoring- or surveillance-based models of online safety.

ITSEC Asia is listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange under the ticker CYBR. The company says it has more than 400 experts across Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, Mauritius, and Dubai, and provides services including consulting, technology integration, and managed security. UNFPA has worked in Indonesia since 1972 on reproductive health, youth, population and development, and gender equality.

The partners said the next phase of SHECURE Digital will focus on strengthening collaboration between government, the private sector, and communities on education, technical safeguards, and advocacy across the three pillars.