#ChooseToChallenge patriachy

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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

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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.

Click here to Download

Launch of HRAPF research report on COVID-19 and Access to justice.

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HRAPF completed a study titled ‘The Impact of COVID-19 related restrictions on access to justice for key populations in Uganda: A case study of LGBT persons and sex workers in Kampala and Wakiso Districts.’ The study discusses the impact of the April to June 2020 lock down on access to justice for LGBTI persons and sex workers in Uganda. The report makes recommendations on what access to justice related institutions can do to ensure that Key Populations access justice even during COVID-19 lock downs, which can also apply to other minorities and other Ugandans in general

Mental Health and the Internet

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The month of may is highlighted with Mental Health awareness a timmmme to talk and share about mental Health Issues. HER Internet ran a campaign on mental health were we shared the effects of over using the internet and how it impacts on our mental health. Many people with access to the Internet do so on a daily basis, and the Internet has become a well-integrated part of our lives. This has led to changes in how we live our lives, how we construct and maintain social relations and self-identities, seek information, and enjoy entertainment. The Internet itself is not the main cause of poor mental health but the way we use it can negatively impact us through a number of ways such as: causing anxiety and depression; some negative impact on physical health including strained eyes, back pain or change in sleep patterns; low self-esteem and in extreme cases, Internet addiction disorder. Taking care of our mental health is always important and we have all faced strange, unprecedented times with the COVID19 pandemic. With increased use of the internet – especially social media, there is often little escape from reality. It can feel impossible to “unplug” and take a break from the online world.

Digital safety & security

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On 11 May 2021, HER Internet hosted a dialogue on Surveillance and security to unpack what digital safety and security look like in this age of digital surveillance. The Internet excels at the job of quickly sharing things with others while on the other hand, keeping private information safe and secure online is a challenging task, doubly so for Lesbian, Bisexual, Queer womxn and female sex workers in particular. This dialogue therefore created space for much needed discourse on what the womxn present understand surveillance to mean and what their different and various vulnerabilities are; in comparison to the security skills, tools and information available to them.

HER Internet’s DigiSec Dialogues

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Starting out as a partnership with a civic tech organization- Pollicy, HER Internet’s DigiSec Dialogues have brought together artists, journalists and activists to discuss digital security and digital literacy. We delved into topics like Unlocking Algorithms; Misinformation, Disinformation and Trolling; Personal and Professional Branding; and Protecting your content online.

Research Report 2021: The Trends and Impact of Technology Assisted Violence Among Communities of Structurally Silenced Womxn.

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Technology Assisted Violence (TAV) is a complex worldwide phenomenon with devastating results. Research to date shows that victim-survivors of intimate partner violence are tracked by their abusive partners who use technology to monitor their movements and communication. Many womxn, journalists, human rights defenders and politicians – especially female politicians, vocal LBTQ activists face daily death threats and rape threats for speaking out about various issues.

Those with intersecting marginalized identities are especially at risk, with Black, Indigenous and people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people, sex workers and people with disabilities facing higher rates of attacks as well as concerted attacks that specifically target their identities. These attacks create legitimate safety concerns, involve appalling degrees of invasions of privacy and can have significant financial costs for those targeted. One of the most serious impacts is the silencing of womxn’s and LGBTQ people’s voices in digital spaces. TAV makes it unsafe and unwelcoming for womxn and LGBTQ people to express themselves freely in a world where digital communication has become one of the primary modes of communication.

As a fairly new phenomenon, TAV is not generally well understood. There has been relatively little empirical research conducted on TAV, and the bulk of the research on this topic to date is focused on higher-income countries. To better understand TAV, HER Internet is commissioning this research.

This comprehensive assessment on experiences of TAV against LBQ womxn and FSW in Uganda was prepared pursuant to the changing trends in the use of technology, the overwhelming need to determine their needs and challenges in relation to this form of violence, and the development of contextualized response strategies to mitigate the recurrence of this violence.

The increasingly rapid technological advances have created new possibilities for the criminal misuse of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). It is therefore important we interrogate how far the harm goes, the avenues of access to justice for these violations and what LBQ womxn and FSW needs are in this regard.

To download and read more of these insightful findings; https://www.herinternet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Research-report-The-Trends-and-Impact-of-TAV-among-LBQ_FSW.pdf

 

Handbook on Decoding online violence

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In this handbook, we seek the causes of the persistent online violence, the ways in which it manifests and the target groups. Nevertheless, we strive for the betterment of womxn on the global web. Decoding Online Violence Handbook.

Click here to Download

Networking Meeting by Ubuntu Law and Justice Center

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HER Internet has been part of a networking meeting organized by Ubuntu Law and Justice Centre. One of the objectives of this meeting was to Localise the Global Advocacy Strategy among the diverse Key Populations groups in Uganda. The Global Advocacy Strategy focuses on supporting and strengthening key population movements to build and organize, particularly by increasing the presence and visibility of young key populations through partnerships and building the capacity of key population networks at national and regional levels to push governments and partners to take action to address human rights, gender equality, violence, criminalization, stigma, and discrimination.

Accelerator Campaign

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HER Internet is part of the accelerator campaign in partnership with Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and Amnesty Denmark. In light of the Sexual Offences Bill being passed by the parliament of Uganda, the campaign under #RepealSOBUg and #DeleteClause11 started off by the accelerators visiting various partners and allies in order to revisit commitments of allyship and strengthen existing partnerships with them and the LGBTQ community. The month of May was also significant to kickstart the campaign to celebrate and honor the International day against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). All the organizations reached pledged to create safe spaces for LGBTQ persons in Uganda.