By Kobusiinge Monica
Kampala: Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) in collaboration with Urgent Action Fund is organizing a national legal advisor’s conference on online harassment against female journalists in Uganda to build the capacity of female journalists and law enforcement officers on legal remedies, mental health management and wellbeing and online safety and digital security.-TheSpy Uganda reports.
According to organizers, the two day conference is slated for July 8th to 9th 2021 from 10:00am to1:00pm on zoom under the theme‘’Saving women journalists in Uganda by improving legislation on freedom of expression in the digital spaces and tackling online harassment” . This will bring together different key stakeholders including; Journalists, civil society organizations, human rights defenders, Uganda police, ministry of gender labour and social development, ministry of ICT among others.
TheSpy Uganda has established that the conference is aimed at conducting a briefing on the status of female journalists’ rights online based on the existing legal and legislative frameworks governing freedom of expression in the digital spaces in Uganda.
WOUGNET notes that journalism has become important because the information is swiftly relayed to Ugandans unlike in the past where one would receive the majority of news and information from local newspapers adding that journalists today undergo many pressures trying to capture or emulate media in order to deliver information on a daily basis whereas by doing so, it influences the flow of information.
In addition, WOUGNET says that the ongoing revolution in communications technology and the rise of various digital spaces and accessories even via our mobile devices regardless of one’s location pose another challenge to journalists especially the female not being valued in society.
”Journalists regardless of the gender have to work around the clock to push stories when they are happening, no matter when it happens, and so become subjects to the state intimidation and violence almost on a daily basis. And this has incited hostility against targeted news outlets and individual journalists, and intimidation via digital channels where female journalists are especially subjected to attack such as online harassment,” says WOUGNET.
In the same vein, the organization still recognizes the increasing cases of online harassment against women journalists which is an infringement on the rights to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
”Harassment most commonly directed at female journalists often includes; defamation campaigns, sexual harassment, cyber stalking, doxing, trolling and threats of violence against the journalists themselves and their family and friends which affects the mental health and wellbeing of the survivors and they have been forced into self-censorship and some are withdrawing from public discourse leaving the journalism profession to be dominated by men,” says WOUGNET.
Meanwhile, we have since learnt that the specific objectives of the conference include;
- To share with stakeholders, the various forms of online harassment and some of the laws and policies that protect women from these new forms of violence including their impacts on survivors.
- To build the capacity of women journalists and law enforcers on mental health management and wellbeing and online safety and digital security.
- To provide a platform for women journalists to engage and voice their online concerns to policymakers for gender-sensitive policy consideration, among others.
About WOUGNET
Women of Uganda Network is a non-governmental organization initiated in May 2000 by several women’s organizations in Uganda to develop the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) among women as tools to share information and address issues collectively.
