Digital Insecurity The Root Cause Of Cyberharrassment And Online Gender Based Violence

By: Ireen Twongirwe

Worth Noting:

• During the training, the participant shared their challenges they face online and this was due to the lack of digital knowledge and skills on how to work safe and secure online.
• Ireen Twongirwe the Executive Director (WoGEMUganda) and Human Right Defender shared with the participants  on how to  create strong, unique passwords to avoid being hacked and use VPN   or TOR while  accessing public WIFI to close their location.
• More so, TOR hides your IP address, provides privacy online, blocks hackers and helps to prevent spyware from attacking your device. She lastly said that being online gives you access to a lot information and we have to take it upon ourselves to protect ourselves online.

The world is transiting from analog to digital. What do I mean here, we are in 21^st century where everyone and everybody can access a smartphone, tablet or a computer? It’s clear that most of the people especially youth are misusing the chance of being online because there are not aware of the importance of these devices other than whatsupping.  A lot can be done with these gadgets other than causing online Gender Based violence or cyberharrassments that has greatly affected girls and women.

In addition, being online helps you to get job opportunities, get solutions to the problems we face daily, releases stress, Network with colleagues with like minds, used for research among others.  However its very unfortunate that most people are not informed about these opportunities and what they only know is exposing peoples nudes, stalking, hacking peoples information, watching pornography and reading explicit content. And this has increased online gender based violence cyber harassment among others.

Last week on 12^th and 13^th April 2023, Women for Green Economy Movement Uganda (Uganda) in partnership with Defend Defenders Uganda held a digital training with Women Human Rights defenders and Journalist at North East Villa Resort Kumi District, eastern Region.  During the training, the participant shared their challenges they face online and this was due to the lack of digital knowledge and skills on how to work safe and secure online.

Ms. Ireen Twongirwe the Executive Director (WoGEMUganda) and Human Right Defender shared with the  participants  on how to  create strong, unique passwords to avoid being hacked and use VPN   or TOR while  accessing public WIFI to close their location. More so, TOR hides your IP address, provides privacy online, blocks hackers and helps to prevent spyware from attacking your device.  She lastly said that being online gives you access to a lot information and we have to take it upon ourselves to protect ourselves online.  https://twitter.com/wogemu/status/1657268395396542466?s=51&t=zDJK3utFlPVw9L9-gMf9MQ

Mrs. Gorrette Imalingat, a Woman human Right defender, also added that women have the right to access information and to be online. However she added that they should learn on how to protect themselves online with the skills we provided to them.

The training created a great impact in the lives of the WHRDs through mindset change and they promised that whatever they learnt, they will also train other people, HRDs. we therefore believe that these trainings can create a tremendous change in our communities.

After the training, the government got concerned about the child abuses online https://www.ntv.co.ug/ug/news/national/gov-t-concerned-at-social-media-impact-on-child-crimes-4237522and we believe that the skills and experience we shared with WHRDs will create a positive impact in the communities and help to reduce on the online GBV.

Therefore, there is urgent need to sensitize communities on how to protect themselves online. This is both at government level and family levels. Parents should ensure that their kid’s electronics are monitored, set passwords and data limits for their children’s phones or computers to stop their kids from accessing PG content online.

More so, government should enact the computer misuse act to protect internet users from   being hacked and harassed online. In addition , the government and international  development partners should invest /support Community based organizations and Human Right Defenders to carry out more sensitizations , empowerment meetings on how to share knowledge ,digital  skills with the frontline communities especially the youth . This will increase on public awareness on how to protect and secure our information online.

For God and my Country

Ireen Twongirwe

Executive director Women for green Economy Movement Uganda (WoGEM)