Create a safe digital space for women and girls to thrive
Did you know that 16 and 58 per cent of women worldwide face online gender-based violence every day?
As this year’s #16DaysofActivism campaign centers on the theme, “Unite to protect women and girls from technological abuse and exploitation”, South Sudan calls on all to “Protect women and girls from digital abuse and exploitation”.
It is therefore a call to action to the general public including men and boys in South Sudan to advocate for a safe space for women and girls in South Sudan to freely use the digital space without fear of being abused, shamed, harassed, scammed, impersonated, or made to feel inferior while engaging via their personal digital platforms.
CDI joined partners at the forefront of advocating for the rights of women and girls in South Sudan by advocating and educating the community, including women, girls, men, and boys, on the legal framework that is in place to report GBV support and protect survivors of gender-based violence. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122163320690795006&set=pb.61573850201419.-2207520000 [i] “Let’s work together across communities and online to protect women and girls from hate speech.” Betty Yari, the Executive Director of CDI, joined the national Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare (MGCSW) and partners in commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism campaign is a global campaign.
The Digital space is a free environment for free speech, learning, information, trade, and work for people. Unfortunately, for women, the digital space presents new risks with inadequate digital safety, including online violence, cyberstalking, misinformation, and exploitation of women and girls.
A study by UNDP states: https://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/explainer/online-safety-101-what-every-woman-and-girl-should-know[ii]“With anywhere between 16 and 58 per cent of women worldwide reporting online violence or harassment, and now new technologies like artificial intelligence are making things worse. Image-based abuse is exploding, with an estimated 90 to 95 per cent of online deep fakes depicting women in sexualized ways.” It shows that trolling via social media has detrimental effects like mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social withdrawal, anxiety, and addiction. These consequences are harmful and damage the general lives of women.
A case of online abuse: “Women in South Sudan are facing a surge of online harassment that mirrors the physical and psychological violence they endure offline… digital attacks are reinforcing harmful cultural norms and silencing women. What happens online does not stay online. It destroys women’s confidence, silences them, and makes them fear public participation.” Lorna James Elias, Deputy Chairperson of the South Sudan Political Parties Council, informed the public.
We can use the digital space to promote the digital rights of women and girls in South Sudan and call for accountability. https://www.sudanspost.com/south-sudan-warns-of-rising-digital-abuse-against-women-girls/[iii]“We have a clear responsibility; the regulatory framework must evolve to meet this new threat. We must regulate platforms of abuse, and we must ensure that digital education includes robust training on online security, cyber protection, and reporting,” – David Yauyau, the Deputy Minister of Information, Communication Technology, and Postal Services.
Pelle Enarsson, the European Union ambassador to South Sudan, recommended, “As the digital world develops, many laws are needed to safeguard its practices. We urge the government to enact laws to protect data and safeguard online privacy to maximize the positive effects of digital development.”
#NoExcuse #EndGBV #ViolenceOnlineIsViolence #16DaysOfActivism
References
[i] https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122163320690795006&set=pb.61573850201419.-2207520000
[ii] https://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/explainer/online-safety-101-what-every-woman-and-girl-should-know
[iii] https://www.sudanspost.com/south-sudan-warns-of-rising-digital-abuse-against-women-girls/