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Some of the dignitaries at the launch
Plan International Ghana has launched a campaign to protect girls and young women in Ghana from online bullying and abuse.
Nicknamed: “FreeToBeOnline,” which was launched on Thursday, October 8, 2020, the campaign, which was launched alongside the “State of the World’s Girls Report” to mark this year’s International Day of the Girl, seeks to create awareness about online safety. of abuse and harassment of the girl.
The report (The State of the World’s Girls Report) aims to bring the issue of online abuse to the fore, especially as it disproportionately affects girls and young women.
Launching
Speaking at the launch, Plan International Ghana Country Director Mr. Solomon Tesfamariam said that while many efforts have been made to address the various challenges faced by girls and young women, such efforts face new kinds of challenges. Daily with the current is abuse and harassment online.
“As we all work to solve these lifelong problems, we are faced with a growing threat, which has emanated from the advent of the technological world to which we are gradually transitioning,” he said.
Some of the participants
She said that “the abuse and harassment girls face are rapidly becoming major threats to girls, with very limited measures to protect them from gender-based violence online, especially in these times of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Online violence silences girls, it is a barrier to their leadership. Therefore, it has become clear that girls need to understand the concept of bullying and online safety from different perspectives and its devastating effects on the empowerment of girls, ”explained Mr. Tesfamariam.
Report
According to him, a study conducted by Plan International in 22 countries found that more than 14,000 girls had been abused and stalked online.
That, he pointed out that, “Some general categories of harassment found include threats of sexual violence; Sexual harassment; threats of physical violence; attacks on girls’ intersectional appearance or characteristics, including body shame; the unauthorized sharing of girls’ content, including for the purpose of publicly embarrassing girls; stalking and generally insulting and abusive language. “
A discussion board at launch.
She said the inspiration for the report “comes from Plan International’s desire to have metrics to assess the unique vulnerabilities and challenges girls face online,” adding that “girls are attacked online just because they are young and female, and if they are politically open and disabled, it gets worse. “
Mr Tesfamariam expressed concern that very little is being done at this time to protect girls and young women online, and highlighted that the launch of the report will help to create the necessary awareness and visibility on the harm caused to girls and young women through online abuse and harassment.
Call to action
Therefore, he has called on everyone, in particular the government and society as a whole, to monitor “this abuse rigorously and that social media companies use their technological skills and financial resources to bring freedom online for women. girls and young women on the agenda. “
Ama K. Abebrese, Ghanaian actress, television host and producer, explaining a point in the launch
For him, the repression of abusers of girls and young women online could be achieved by creating effective and accessible reporting mechanisms that target gender-based violence, holding perpetrators accountable, and collecting disaggregated data that recognizes the intersecting identities of girls and trace the scale and size of the problem.
Alliance with UNICEF
In a speech read on her behalf, UNICEF Country Representative in Ghana, Anne-Claire Dufray, said that UNICEF’s vision was to promote gender equality and the empowerment of girls in Ghana.
“The launch of the Report on the State of the World’s Girls: Being Free Online is Timely and Appropriate,” noting that “the reality is that online violence against children is an extension of offline violence and abuse Like offline violence and abuse, girls and women also suffered more from violence online. “
According to her, the “Plan International report that is being released today adds to the growing global evidence related to the experiences of children and young people online. The report indicates that 58% of the girls in the survey experienced bullying online” .
Ms Dufray said that while UNICEF “is pleased with the progress the government has made in ensuring the safety and security of children in the digital space, it is crucial for us to highlight the collective responsibility that has been assigned to all of us, including children and young people, to create a safer digital environment for all. “
He added that “UNICEF is working with the government of Ghana to support efforts to make the Internet a safer digital environment for children.”
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