Review of Cyber Policies Protecting Women and Children Online.

Abstract

The use of ICTs has enabled users to enjoy their rights online through governments providing access to internet usage. A number of governments do not take keen steps in those who destabilize the ability for others to enjoy internet freedoms. There has been an increase in rights violations online where intimidation of users, women and children inclusive has been shown. The intimidation of online users has undermined socio-economic and political development worldwide. Africa is assumed to have the lowest ICT usage figures compared to other regions and it also experiences a deep digital divide. The moves seen in some countries which hamper access and affordability as well as unduly restrict citizens’ rights to free speech, privacy and access to information. This therefore undermines the efforts to bridge the digital divide. Although many African countries have experienced internet or social media shutdowns, a dent thus disrupting communications. This is quite worrying because many governments are raising surveillance capacity to guide interception of communications or user information requests. An act of technology-related violence against women and girls including non-consensual accessing, using, manipulating, disseminating or sharing of private data, information and/or content, photographs and/or videos, including sexualized images, audio clips and/or video clips or photo shopped images is an act of technology-related violence against women and girls. In Uganda, the use of the internet has increased over the years with more than 11 million users providing a landscape that facilitates abuse of human rights especially among women and children It has been critical because the protection of these vulnerable groups has been at a low and real abuses of freedoms are increasing2. Although Uganda has documented threats to digital access, defending the rights of women and children online has been at a low. This is because the existing legal framework and new policies limiting internet access, free speech have further suffocated them; for example, Articles 27 and 29 of the 1995 constitution of the Republic of Uganda contradict constitutional guarantees in protecting women and children. Although the use of the internet in Uganda is positively blooming, the realization and protection of the rights of women and children is still an area faced with challenges and restrictions, one being a notable increase of abuse through violation of users’ privacy and freedom of expression3. The rationale of this review is to explore the ambiguities within the National Legal and policy framework pertaining to online censorship, protection and privacy of women and children. The aim of this report is therefore to present a review of cyber policies that will inform and engage policy makers on the need to structure protective systems for women and children online. It will further contribute to advocating and carrying out awareness through various social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Whats App and many more.