Amwik sets pace in war on online sexual violence
Association of Media Women in Kenya (Amwik) executive director Patience Nyange addresses journalists in Nairobi on October 4, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Amwik executive director Patience Nyange has underscored the need to sensitise women to how to tackle online GBV and called on all stakeholders to play their part in building confidence for victims to speak out.
- Amwik has partnered with regional entities from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda under the Women@web project to create awareness of the rising cases of online harassment and enable women to reap big in the digital space.
The Association of Media Women in Kenya (Amwik) is supporting awareness training for journalists, bloggers and politicians to repress the prevalence of online harassment of women and girls.
Amwik executive director Patience Nyange has underscored the need to sensitise women to tackle online gender-based violence (GBV) and called on all stakeholders to play their part in building confidence for victims to speak out.
She noted that violence against women and girls is a huge threat to the gender equality push, adding that Amwik has partnered with regional entities from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda under the Women@web project to create awareness of the rising cases of online harassment and enable women to reap big in the digital space
The new director spoke when she officially opened training for journalists on effective reporting on online violence against women (Ovaw) in a Nairobi hotel. The training is in partnership with DW Akademie.
“While we are grateful for the technological advancements that we continue to witness, life made simpler by easy access to information and opportunities. We are also alive to the risks facing women and girls online, including Online Violence Against Women,” said Ms Nyange.
She noted that online harassment pushes victims to quit careers while others opt for self-censorship, which threatens the fundamental right to freedom of information, plus speech.
“We must ensure our women have the requisite skills to reap the benefits of digital connectivity all without the fear of sexual violence. About 90 per cent of future jobs require digital skills. Hindering women’s participation in the online space due to online harassment is dealing a big blow to not only to the current but also future generations,” she added.
Digital safety
Ms Nyange observed that the five-day training for journalists on reporting on Ovaw comes after sensitisation under the Women@web initiative, which include the launch of a digital safety and security handbook in December 2021.
The launch of the digital rights and safety handbook sets the precedent in protecting women and girls and training them in how to use and package themselves to exploit online opportunities.
Some of the partners in the project include Launchpad, Unwanted Witness, Media Convergence, Siasa Place and Kictanet.
Amwik has also built the capacity of over 150 producers, bloggers and university students to fully exploit online opportunities while learning to detect and tackle online harassment. They were additionally trained in content production and packaging guidelines and how to monetise it.
Prior to the August 9 General Election, Amwik and DW Akademie held sensitisation and capacity building sessions for male politicians (50) and female politicians (60) on tackling Ovaw.
A recent study conducted in Kenya found that more than one in five women reported having experienced online harassment. Another research done by CIPESA last year found that cyberstalking, online sexual harassment, and blackmail through non-consensual sharing of personal information, promote and normalise violence against women and girls who use the internet in Uganda.
Impediments
These digital threats and attacks, the study found, remain difficult to quantify because of several inhibitions, including the culture of silence and the absence of structured reporting mechanisms. Nonetheless, there have been various documented cases of online harassment and abuse.
According to a 2020 UN Women report, women in politics and the media are at higher risk of online and ICT-facilitated violence due to their public personas. A research by World Wide Web Foundation & World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts showed that 52 per cent of young women and girls have experienced online abuse, including threatening messages, sexual harassment and the sharing of private images without consent.
To tame cases of online violence against women in the country, the government in June this year launched the National Response to Child Online Sexual Exploitation. This is aimed at providing an action plan to protect children from harmful online content and sexual exploitation.
Former Public Service and Gender Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia said at the time that the plan sought to curtail cases of online molestation. She termed the Internet a double-edged sword, saying though beneficial, it can be harmful to children if used wrongly.
“The research findings will provide an action plan to protect children from harmful online content and sexual exploitation,” said Prof. Kobia.
To fully align with globally accepted standards of care, the former CS said the government, in collaboration with development partners, adopted a unified and holistic approach towards reforming the childcare system by developing the National Care Reform Strategy for Children in Kenya.
