IGF 2021 WS #226
My Privacy, My Digital Right: OGBV Analysis amid COVID-19 Ug

Organizer 1: Patricia Nyasuna, Women of Uganda Network
Organizer 2: Sandra Aceng, Women of Uganda Network
Organizer 3: Peace Oliver Amuge, Women of Uganda Network( WOUGNET)

Speaker 1: Patricia Nyasuna, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 2: Sandra Aceng, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 3: Peace Oliver Amuge, Civil Society, African Group

Moderator

Patricia Nyasuna, Civil Society, African Group

Online Moderator

Sandra Aceng, Civil Society, African Group

Rapporteur

Patricia Nyasuna, Civil Society, African Group

Format

Round Table - Circle - 60 Min

Policy Question(s)

Cybersecurity practices and mechanisms: What are the good cybersecurity practices and international mechanisms that already exist? Where do those mechanisms fall short and what can be done to strengthen the security and to reinforce the trust?
Ensuring a safe digital space: How should governments, Internet businesses and other stakeholders protect citizens, including vulnerable citizens, against online exploitation and abuse?

The growth of the internet and other digital technologies has raised new digital rights and safety concerns such as data breaches and privacy violations. The right to data privacy is a digital human right that should be enjoyed by all irrespective of gender, race etc. However, there has been data collected without the knowledge of the data subjects and vulnerable groups such as women and children might not know the implications of their data being collected and stored without their consent. Despite the existence of the Computer misuse act 2011, and Data protection and privacy act 2019, there is still unregulated data processing in Uganda. For instance, women’s private data have been used to exacerbate Cyberbullying, online harassment and cyberstalking have become too common, as part of a wider variety of violent behaviours that occur in digital spaces and disproportionately affect women and girls. In many countries, women have experienced online abuse – from petty harassment and trolling to stalking and sexual intimidation.
One of the biggest human rights concerns in this digital age has been unlimited ability and the massive collection and preservation of biometric data. The growth in mobile subscriptions, increased use of smartphones, mandatory SIM card registration have resulted in increased collection, processing and sharing of personal data making it increasingly prone to abuse by both state and non-state actors. Unfortunately, many internet users are not aware of the implications of their use of the web and how their rights are compromised by their internet usage or how their data is automatically gathered or processed without their knowledge and sold or linked with other sources to produce a complex record of several aspects of their lives.Under safety and stability, a number of women have had their personal data, mostly pictures and video leaked by non-state actors, compromising their right to privacy and data protection.Anti-Pornography Act, 2014 rather than protecting victims of non-consensual intimate images, punishes them.Most of the personal data is obtained and shared without the consent of the victims in acts of “revenge porn” or black mail in order to extort money from the victims, amounting to cyber harassment and stalking.
In 2017, the National Information Technology Authority – Uganda (NITA-U) in collaboration with the Internet Society Uganda Chapter led to the development of an Online Safety Education Toolkit as a useful and convenient learning resource for children and youth, including girls, on how best to stay safe online in their daily use of the internet – especially in the protecting their personal data. A lot more can be done.
Through this session, we hope to assess the impact of data breaches on women’s online participation.

SDGs

3. Good Health and Well-Being
4. Quality Education
5. Gender Equality
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
10. Reduced Inequalities
16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions


Targets: Ensuring data privacy is one of the ways to reduce Online gender based violence as it comes with policy adjustments that protect women's rights. In this way, mental health of women is protected as they will not be affected by the effects of data breaches like instances of "revenge porn" or distribution of non consentual intimate images.
With respect of Privacy and emphasis of data protection,peace is highly mantained and good policies are put in place and implemented for a just society.
Clearly gender equality can be achieved when both women and men, boyus and girls find the internet a safe space to interact, educate themselves, economically empower themselves and innovate different ideas to achieve sustainable developmemnt.

Description:

Despite the existence of these legal frameworks, they still lack gender-specific provisions to curb online GBV. Uganda’s law enforcers are often not aware of online GBV or do not consider it a form of gender-based violence. The few ICT and internet-related laws and policies effective in Uganda lack the inclusion of gender issues. This session will bring together representatives from private and public institutions that play a key role in implementing or advocating for data privacy and the protection of women and girl’s online safety. These will create a common strategy for promoting the digital rights of women in Uganda

Expected Outcomes

From the session, we hope to create a common path and clear roadmap for the future of the field. We will gain a better understanding of what the various stakeholders are working on, recognising synergies, avoiding duplication, and reinforcing each other's work.
We will learn from their expertise in the field and how they apply different strategy tools that support the effort to build a digital future for vulnerable groups with methodologies that do not reinforce the inequalities of the past and present.
We will massively benefit from the session as it brings together a range of stakeholders we have already worked with or are keen to engage with more. Hence this is a superb opportunity for networking and deepening connections.

We focus on participants' interaction, as the speakers will ensure their submissions are oriented towards strategy development and thus warrant active participation from participants. Participants especially online will effectively participate as we shall create polls and use other tools that encourage interaction like the mural.

Online Participation



Usage of IGF Official Tool.