In September, the Digital Rights world converged in Windhoek, Namibia, as the 12th Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (#FIFAfrica25) brought together Activists, Policymakers, Technologists, Artists, Journalists, and Human Rights Defenders from across the continent. Co-hosted by CIPESA, Namibia’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, and the Namibia IGF, the forum ran from September 24 to 26, 2025.

Its focus: Digital Safety & Resilience, Internet Governance, AI, Disinformation, Platform Accountability, Digital Inclusion and Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV).

Among the many sessions and exhibitions was Portraits of Quiet Pain, our art exhibition in solidarity with the #SpeakUpSpeakOut campaign – a space of reflection, healing, and call for change.

We used art to speak where words sometimes fail. Visualizing the silent scars of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), giving survivors a platform to be seen, and beyond awareness, calling for accountability and transformation.