Minister for Women, Children, and Social Protection, Lynda Tabuya, issued a powerful challenge to more than 40 young women at the Young Women’s Forum today, urging them to stand against online harassment and bullying.
In her opening remarks at the forum, Tabuya emphasized the reality and impact of technology-facilitated violence, describing it as the use of social media, phones, or the internet to harass, stalk, or harm individuals.
She highlighted the deeply personal and long-lasting consequences of such violence, which she says strips victims of their confidence, peace and voices.
The Minister says today’s forum is about their safety, voices, and power.
She says technology has provided incredible tools to learn, connect, and create, however, it has also created new avenues for harm.
Tabuya says that is why they are there to learn, to share, and to find ways to make all spaces safe for women and girls.
She urged the participants to recognize the importance of their voices in challenging online harassment, and to never underestimate the power of their voice.
She adds if a woman is being harassed online, she hopes they will be the one to stand up for them.
Tabuya also stressed the legal ramifications of sharing a woman’s photo — whether intimate, real, or doctored — without her consent, stressing that such acts are both illegal and criminal offenses.
The Young Women’s Forum serves as a platform for participants to explore strategies to combat technology-facilitated gender-based violence, raise awareness and foster a culture of safety and accountability in digital spaces.
With the theme, Make Spaces Safer Online and Offline, the forum is organized in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), encouraged participants to share experiences, insights, and ideas for addressing online violence.
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