Safety for girls and women in digital world demanded

Civil Society activists at a meeting called for taking necessary steps for ensuring the safety of girls and women in the digital world.

Dhaka: Civil Society activists at a meeting called for taking necessary steps for ensuring the safety of girls and women in the digital world.

Girls, women and youths are facing a number of challenges such as cyber bullying, sexual harassment and violence while using online platform, which are forcing them to refrain from using the platform, they said, calling for protecting them from online sexual exploitation and abuse.

If girls, women and youths get proper atmosphere in online platform, they can express their opinion freely, which can pave the way for establishing their rights.

Hence, it is imperative to ensure safe digital space for them, they observed.

They made the observations while addressing an inception meeting titled ‘Under the leadership of child and youth, let’s build a safe digital space in Bangladesh’ at Mollahat upazila parishad auditorium of Bagerhat district on Wednesday.

Organized by INCIDIN Bangladesh, the meeting was held under the project titled ‘Speak Up! Empowering CSOs to Protect Child and Youth’s Freedom of Expression by Capitalizing on the Opportunities and Addressing the Challenges of the Digital Space in Bangladesh’.

The event was told that children (aged 15-18), and youths (aged 18-24) who resorted to the internet for the purpose of education and social opportunities during and after the Covid pandemic faced increased online harassment. Up to 32% of children were identified by UNICEF as victims of online violence.

Adolescents, as rapid adopters of technology, are highly active online but they lack digital literacy and are unaware of online safety practices, misinformation and disinformation, making them vulnerable to online risks. Older youths are more vocal and actively engage in public discourse and online spaces. With higher rates of digital literacy, they still underestimate certain online threats.

Presided over by A.K.M. Masud Ali, Executive Director of INCIDIN Bangladesh, Mollahat Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shyamananda Kundu attended the meeting as the chief guest.

Deputy Director of Youth and Sports M.A. Kader, Deputy Director of Social Welfare S.M. Rafiqul Islam, District Child Officer of Bagerhat district Sheikh Asadur Rahman, and officer-in-charge of Mollahat Police Station M. Fazlul Haque attended as the special guests.

Apart from the other government officials, local journalists also attended the meeting. – Press release