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We were unable to be a part of this due to #zoom technical glitches. We will contribute what we can in this #thread about #online #gbv in #uganda, @LindseyKukunda's experiences, our #research from #digital #trainings & #safety #measures one can take. #StopOnlineGBVUG @wougnet
A little bit about the situation of #onlinegbv in #uganda. The #internet is a mirror of how #society grooms #boys and #men to view #women as inferior, and highlights the tendencies to #abuse and #violate #rights and #safety of #women.
Think of it as a dangerous street without lighting where only #men feel safe to venture. #women are afraid to speak their minds, preventing them from being free to express themselves, and affecting their #psychological and #physical safety.
Self #censorship and outright #silence are the safest ways for women to exist on the #internet. This spills offline e.g non-consensual sharing of intimate images. #women are afraid to share intimate images with their partners because #men & the law can use this against them.
However, the #internet is becoming a tool of #justice for #women too, with an increase in exposing #abusive #men #online, unafraid of accusations of #defamation, because the #justice system & society makes #women responsible for men's #abuses towards them.
There is little difference between #street #harassment and #vaw #online. It's a 'man's world'. This #abuse is unchecked, unmonitored by the #government or @policeug & victims/survivors of 'revenge porn' are instead, prosecuted.
Just as @PoliceUg rushed to arrest a man caught on video beating up an old woman in Arua, they should also detain #men accused of #abuse on #socialmedia. These men are permitted to have their #jobs and #reputations intact and are quick to threaten #defamation to silence #accusers
@LindseyKukunda admits that over time, she has herself started self-censoring due to #online #attacks that cause #depression, #anxiety & a sincere wish to leave the #internet. Comments like, 'This one is just confrontational/likes to whine' etc.
@LindseyKukunda's worst experience is when she wrote about a #racist #bar that denied her entry. She heard herself on radio described as having an 'inferiority complex' & received mocking messages all the way from Rwanda. Good news. The bar now has a 'No racism allowed' sign.
In our #digital #safety #trainings, #girls in #university say they are afraid to even post pictures online because their #male counterparts bully them e.g "Facebook isn't for you to show off", "Make sure you're beautiful first", "You're not all that" "Attention seeker" etc.
#university girls tell us about what they call 'WhatsApp Revenge'. If you refuse a boy's advances, he spreads stories about you on WhatsApp, calls you a 'slut', brags he's slept with you, puts your face on a naked woman's bodies & shares it etc.
We'd like to share a few practical tips to protect yourself online. Tip 1: To prevent non-consensual sharing of intimate images, or unauthorized entry to your account, take passwords seriously. Don't include personal information in your password.
Use a different #password for every #account. DON'T BE LAZY. The cost of being hacked into can be avoided with a different password for each account. With one password, if someone gets that, they get everything.
Change your passwords every three months. To keep track, we recommend a #password #manager that saves all your details. @LastPass is a good password #vault, easy for beginners. When you change your password, update the change in your @LastPass vault too.
Tip 2: Ditch your 'friends'. The 'numbers' you call @Facebook 'friends' are the people making you unsafe. Make a choice. Delete everyone you don't know because people you know will find it harder to abuse you.
Tip 3: This is difficult for #women. Practice being #unapologetic for your #opinions. You're entitled to them, just like everyone else. No one disrespects you without your consent. Don't justify yourself. You can give people your back to walk on, they'll still say it's too soft.
Tip 4: Follow women of influence, women you admire etc. There is strength in numbers and there is a need for women to support and uplift each other. This can be done by again, choosing who your 'friends' are.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is all we have time for right now. We hope this thread is #useful for those who need it. Thanks @wougnet for this initiative and all contributors. We hope to meet you another time @triciatwasiima @sandraaceng @DrBridgetHarris @takebackthetech @APC_News
