EMPOWER WOMEN AND GIRLS TO SURVIVE THREATS AND ABUSE IN DIGITAL SPACE

The international community is today celebrating women with a special focus on how ICT can be used as a platform to educate and empower women and girls. The National Commission for Civic Education, (NCCE) joins the rest of the world to commemorate International Women’s Day. Women’s day is observed annually on the 8^th of March to promote and highlight issues of gender equality. The Day also serves as an opportune time to revive campaigns to empower women and girls as they collectively work to bridge the gap between genders at the socioeconomic level.

This year’s theme for the celebration is; “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality”. The theme has a direct connection to a priority theme for the upcoming 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW-67), which is; “Innovation and Technological Change, and Education in the Digital Age for Achieving Gender Equality and The Empowerment of All Women and Girls”.

The need to throw the spotlight on protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces and addressing online and ICT-facilitated gender-based violence have become critical because of the threats and harassment women and girls face in the digital space. These cyber-threats come in the form of cyber harassment, threats of rape, sexual assault, public display of nudes, manipulation, the release of personal data (“doxing”) and acts such as cyberstalking or sextortion/revenge porn.

It is therefore imperative that women and girls are educated and better resourced with ICT skills. The education will result in bringing up innovations and suggesting results-generating ideas to combat and eradicate actions that do not promote gender equality and safety in the digital space.

SDG 5 addresses the need for women and girls to be rescued from all actions of abuse and discrimination as well as enhance the use of enabling technology, and in particular information and communications technology, to promote women’s empowerment. Again, SDG 10 advocates reduced inequality and ensured equal opportunity of outcomes, including eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices by promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard, which can aid Ghana’s development.

The NCCE through its civic education activities and outreaches continues to promote women’s participation and provide platforms that seek to endorse gender equality and women empowerment. The Commission in the year 2022 produced a gender policy that addresses the gender needs of women in the Commission. Likewise, as we celebrate International Women’s Day, the NCCE calls on the citizenry to support the campaign for the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill into law to help increase women’s participation in the decision-making processes and public life as well as vote massively for women aspirants in the 2023 District Assembly and Unit Committee elections to engender a healthier democracy.

The Commission urges the general public and policymakers to introduce sustainable programmes that support women and girls in technological advancement. This can significantly contribute to closing the gap between men and women in the technological space.

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