Latest initiatives
Building on insights from our frontline digital-resilience program, the team’s latest initiatives include:
- Researching Digital Violence Against Women (DVAW): Through 40+ country-based studies led by researchers in the region, the team is enabling trailblazing investigations into local contexts and impacts of DVAW. In some countries, these are the first substantial data sets on the topic. Supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
- Strengthening ecosystems of support for women: Launched in 2024, this project seeks to build conditions for resilient governance (law/policy), health and educational ecosystems to support female tech users and DVAW survivors. Again with IDRC support, we’re piloting this newly holistic approach in Jordan and Iraq, building on lessons learned from earlier projects.
- Developing Arabic training guides: Leveraging years of field training experience, the team is building a suite of public-domain training guides covering essential topics in digital safety and psychosocial support for survivors of DVAW.
2018-2022: Frontline engagement
Salam@ coordinated a four-year, large-scale digital resilience program for women and youth in seven MENA countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. In each case, a locally-based national coordinator helped shape strategies and activities—including localizing communications for local realities and dialects.
This program achieved unprecedented reach among women:
- 35,000 people directly benefited from Salam@ services—including 18,000 through training, 11,000 through clinics and awareness sessions, and 4,000 via support lines.
- 28 million users engaged online with Salam@’s public awareness campaigns on digital risks and responses.
- Salam@ spokespeople shaped national conversations about digital resilience through more than 450 broadcast and print media exposures.
Key innovations
Along the way, the Salam@ team has delivered innovations with lasting impact. Highlights include:
- Convening and mentoring the Digital Advocates—the MENA region’s first all-female group of digital safety trainers—to lead Salam@’s on-the-ground education activities.
- Mentoring strategic cohorts of female lawyers, journalists, politicians and other community leaders in four countries to lead on digital policy advocacy.
- Working with 20+ specialists from nine MENA countries to develop the first-ever unified, dictionary of Arabic digital safety terms in sign language for the Deaf community.
- Publishing nearly 200 easy-to-understand digital safety guides, including guidance in several local Arabic dialects.
- Developing a psychosocial support manual for service providers working with survivors of digital violence against women
Salam@ Stories
Novel to Newsroom: Four Iraqi Students Explore the World of Digital Harm
How four Iraqi students transformed youth fiction about online life into published media commentary on digital identity, memory, beauty and violence.
How Women Across MENA Pioneered a Regional Response to Digital Violence
What began seven years ago as an effort to understand digital violence against women has evolved into a region-spanning community of researchers, practitioners, and organizations driving lasting change.
Page to Stage: Youth Novel About Digital Dangers Inspires Theatre and Debate
At Jordan's Jubilee Institute, a novel about online identity, pressure, and harm inspired a rich student-led day of theatre, debate, and dialogue.
Empowering Jordan’s Next Generation to Respond to Digital Violence Against Women
From teaching guides to moot courts and podcasts, a pilot project in Jordan is testing how universities can help future professionals understand, document, argue, report on, and respond to digital violence against women.
Moot Court, Real Stakes: Jordan’s Future Lawyers Tackle Digital Violence Against Women and Girls
For two days in April, law students from 10 Jordanian universities argued the same fictional case of digital GBV — and the Ministry of Justice was watching.
What Siraj Teaches Us About Digital Resilience in Conflict
A new case study documents how our Siraj partnership project helped Yemeni youth push back against scams, misinformation, and other digital harms through trusted local leadership.
Digital Shadows: Testing a Novel Approach to Digital Safety for Girls Across MENA
Across the Middle East and North Africa, Meriem Noumeur's novel is opening conversations with girls about online identity, pressure, trust, manipulation — and learning to stay safe.
Synergy in Action: Strengthening Jordan’s Response to Digital Violence Against Women
When a group of institutions stopped working in silos and started coordinating as a national community, they helped women reach safer, more consistent support—faster.
Innovation & Impact Award: Recognizing that Digital Resilience Matters
The SecDev Foundation has received the 2025 organizational Innovation and Impact Award in honour of Lewis Perinbam, co-presented by Cooperation Canada and World University Service of Canada.
Patchwork To Pathways: Learning to Support Iraqi Women Facing Digital Violence
With digital violence against women surging, an Iraqi organization worked with partners to build a durable response—intake, documentation, referrals, and outreach—so survivors can get the support they need.
MENA Team Embraces 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence
During this year's 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, our Salam@ MENA team advanced the global fight by celebrating research advances, co-launching two books and helping to amplify women's voices.
MENA Women: From Online Harm to Hopeful Responses
One of our most trusted partners and funders recently profiled our joint efforts to combat online gender-based violence across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Strengthening Digital Resilience for Jordanian Women Leaders
Building on our recent research and frontline work, a new initiative will counter online abuse and support women’s full and safe participation in Jordan’s upcoming municipal elections.
From Project to Movement: How Karak Sparked Jordan’s DVAW Response
From community centres and classrooms all the way to parliament, the Karak Castle Center is igniting Jordan’s response to digital violence against women (DVAW)—and showing how local action can drive national change.
Silenced with a Click
Women who ran in Jordan’s 2024 parliamentary elections faced online abuse meant to silence them. A new study reveals how—and what needs to change before the country votes again in 2026.
Digital Violence Against Women in MENA Conflict Zones
A growing body of research is uncovering how digital violence is used to shame, silence, and endanger women in conflict zones across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Dina Sparks a Movement Against Digital Violence
Learn how a Yazidi teen sparked a community-led crackdown on digital violence: a lot has happened since we first shared Dina's story from Iraq in January.
Dina’s Story: A Community Response to Digital Violence
Two of our Iraqi partner organizations recently teamed up to help a teenage girl confront an online assault. The case showcases how well community collaboration can support women's digital resilience.