CyberbullyingEndsNow! #NotTodayBully

HER Internet ran an anti-cyberbullying campaign for several weeks from June to August 2021. The ‘CyberbullyingEndsNow! #NotTodayBully’ campaign involved awareness raising activities online such as information dissemination using creative infographics and posters via all our social media platforms. It was within the above context that HER Internet held a dialogue on 12th/oct/2021 titled Cyber bullying defined. It’s objective was to build and deepen awareness on bullying in the digital era especially with communities of LBQ womxn. The space also fostered conversations on the CyberbullyingEndsNow #nottodaybully online campaign that we ran from June to August.

Panel at FIFAfrica 2021

The panel “Digital Rights Violations and Digital Security Practices in Africa” was a session where Pollicy and Paradigm Initiative presented Digital SafeTea and Ripoti, different tools towards digital security violations. It was also a forum to talk about the unique digital security challenges groups like journalists, politicians and LGBTQIA+ people face, and the importance of accessible digital security education. Here are some of the questions that guided the conversation:
1. What are some key digital security challenges you have noticed in your line of work?
2. Why are digital security tools like Ripoti and Digital SafeTea important? What gaps are they filling?
3. What other ways do we envision digital security education can be made more accessible to everyone?
4. How can technology companies contribute to making digital security more accessible to everyone?

Digital Security Conference 2021

Our Executive Director moderated a virtual panel addressing the impact of digital inequalities and entrenched exclusion on the representation and participation of minorities, and disenfranchised communities in a digital and data driven tech-society at the Digital Security Conference 2021. The panelists were representatives of organisations working towards digital inclusion and a feminist internet namely; • iFreedom Network Uganda • Women of Uganda Network • Digital Woman Uganda • Digital Inclusion (Digital Human Rights Lab) • Sexual Minorities Uganda

Digital Security Clinic

In commemoration of Women Human Rights Defender’s day, the Women Human Rights Defenders Network-Uganda (WHRDN-U) brought together collectives, groups, organisations and other entities together to launch the Safety and Security guidelines for WHRDs in Uganda under the Spotlight Initiative by UN Women. At this space, HER Internet set up a digital security clinic where participants reached out for help with their devices, applications or software. This digital security clinic was supported by the WHRDN-U.

CyberBullyingEndsNow Campaign

HER Internet ran an online campaign under the hashtags CyberBullyingEndsNow #nottodaybully and #HERONLINESAFETY. This campaign ran across all our social media platforms; Facebook, Twitter and Instagram during the months of June, July and August 2021. Stop Cyberbullying Day is recognized every 3rd Friday of the month of June each year to celebrate and promote a truly diverse and inclusive online environment. We used this as the foundation for the CyberBullyingEndsNow online campaign. This anti-cyberbullying campaign involved awareness raising on what cyberbullying looks like, as well as tips and possible ways of how to deal with cyberbullying.

UPR Shadow report: LBQ loose Network

In collaboration with CREA world and Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI), The Uganda LBQ women Loose network in July 2021 submitted the first-ever LBQ women UPR shadow report to the UPR council highlighting the Human Rights concerns of LBQ women in Uganda. A launch event was therefore held to officially introduce this report to the public for advocacy purposes as well as information sharing.

Quarterly Review Meeting by Humans Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum

HER Internet attended a quarterly review meeting facilitated by Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum. The aim of the meeting was to inform the participants of HRAPF’s interventions and progress under the Global Fund project so far, the plans for the activities that are yet to be implemented under the project as well as to consult on areas of collaboration with Key Populations organizations and other mainstream stakeholders. #partnerships

Finding Community amidst the pandemic and Internet restrictions

On 7th July 2021, HER Internet hosted a dialogue on “Finding Community amidst the pandemic and Internet restrictions”. The aim of the dialogue was to inspire creativity, self care, well-being and connectedness while using the internet and other ICTs during the pandemic. This dialogue therefore created space for the community LBQ women to share on the different ways they are living and trying to cope up with during the second lockdown

#ChooseToChallenge patriachy

We #ChooseToChallenge patriachy, a system of social stratification and differentiation on a gendered basis which provides material and opportunity advantages to men while simultaneously placing severe constraints on lives and activities of womxn. Patriarchy is embedded within the online social fabric whether it is the predominance of womxn facing trolling, gendered censorship of bodies, male dominance in the technology industry or stereotypical representations reproduced in technologies like Alexa, Siri.

“Recognition of the harm that patriarchy has to people and planet does not mean that men are wrong and women are right; rather it’s a call for new organisational forms and for relishing gender differences within a context of equality”.

Elizabeth Lesser.

Biannual Newsletter 2021 Issue 1

We present to you the first Issue of our biannual newsletter that shares our work and the current affairs at HER Internet.

We extend our unreserved gratitude to allies, partners, friends and community members for supporting our work.