As part of her mission to reduce digital inequalities and contribute to empowering digital access and use for vulnerable groups, especially women and children, TechSocietal hosted a 3-Day Online Safety Workshop from the 18th to the 20th of July 2023 at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja-Lagos.
In recent years, children and adolescents have become increasingly vulnerable to online risks due to the widespread use of the internet and digital technologies.
In Nigeria, a recent report by the Nigeria Communications Commission (2020) revealed that a
staggering 90% of 4-16-year-olds in Nigeria have been exposed to cyber risks.
Furthermore, women and girls in Nigeria are disproportionately affected by online violence and abuse, including non-consensual image-based sexual abuse, rape threats, cyberstalking, and doxxing. Perpetrators hide behind screens and anonymous profiles, evading accountability and consequences.
TechSocietal’s research on online gender-based violence in Nigeria revealed a significant
gap in programs addressing the full spectrum of online violence and abuse.
Existing initiatives tend to focus primarily on physical aspects, neglecting crucial psychosocial and legal support services for victims of online violence.
Recognizing this gap, the Online Safety Workshop aims to seed the ground for addressing online sexual abuse and exploitation in Nigeria, presenting a broad approach to addressing the issues that looks at prevention, detection and response, taking into account global best practice models.
The Workshop enhanced participants’ skills in identifying, preventing, and responding to
instances of image-based sexual abuse that impact women and children, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing, and enabling organizations to support one another and develop best practices in combating cyber violence.
Speakers at the Workshop included Sally Woolhouse, the Head of Economic Development Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; Tope Ogundipe Executive Director TechSocietal, Sylvia Musalagani, Head of Safety Africa, Middle and
Turkey at Meta, Samantha Woolfe, Global Partnership Lead at INHOPE and Victoria Green, Executive Director Marie Collins Foundation, UK.
The workshop was attended by government agencies such as the NCC, NAPTIP, Government Sexual Assault Referral Centres and law enforcement officers from the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre. Civil Society Organizations advancing children’s rights, women’s rights, and digital rights were also in attendance from several states including Jigawa, Rivers, Ekiti, Ogun, Kano, Kaduna, Edo and Lagos State.
The Online Safety Workshop was convened by TechSocietal in partnership with Meta,
(formerly Facebook) and funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
through its Digital Access Programme in Nigeria which aims to reduce digital inequalities
affecting vulnerable populations in Nigeria.
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