By Rebecca Ekpe, back from Entebbe, Uganda.
Research shows that about 80 percent of women journalists worldwide are experiencing or witnessing online abuse, with higher incidences in the Global South including Uganda. A global survey conducted by UNESCO in 2021 found that nearly 70 percent of women journalists have experienced online harassment and often suffer mental health-related consequences, 30 percent of whom subsequently self-censored on social media.
‘’First of all, I congratulate the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) upon the launch of the observatory map (https://report.iawrt.or.ke) that is set to coincide with the global commemoration of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI), which is being held under the theme of ”CHAT GBV: Raising Awareness on AI- facilitated Gender Based Violence against Women Journalists’’.
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Madam Nakafeero expressed gratitude to the collaborators for the intervention, affirming the Ministry’s support for the initiative.
‘’I wish to extend the Ministry’s thanks to the Media entities, Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) and Law Enforcement Officers in East, West, Central and Southern Africa regions for the collaboration and support to the development of the digital observatory map with a gender focus’’.
‘’I indeed extend my sincere appreciation to UNESCO under the Intergovernmental Council of the International Program for the Development of Communication (IPDC) for financially supporting this initiative’’, she posited.
Uganda’s Commissioner for Gender and Women Affairs reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to collaborate in the protection of the rights of journalists in Uganda.
The Regulation of Interception of Communications Act, 2010 governs the interception of communications, including electronic communications, primarily for security and law enforcement purposes in Uganda. It also indirectly affects content creators who use communication channels.
Meanwhile, in Uganda, Content creators should be aware that their communications, including digital content, may be subject to interception under specific circumstances authorized by the Act.
