The Safety for Voices Africa convening presented an opportunity to discuss the long-term initiative on Safety for Voices, implemented by a consortium of organizations: Association for Progressive Communications (APC), Urgent Action Fund Africa, Urgent Action Fund Asia and Pacific, and IM-Defensoras. This five-year initiative focuses on feminist holistic protection of Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) from the global south.
The primary objective is to co-create a consensus policy agenda addressing technology, gender, and comprehensive protection of WHRDs. The discussion emphasized the importance of advocating for robust legal frameworks, enhancing digital literacy and security, and ensuring equitable access to digital platforms.
The convening is situated within the policy advocacy stream of strategic priorities within the Safety for Voices Theory of Change. The consortium will continue to explore how regional convenings can strengthen their unified voice and influence organizing contexts at regional and international levels.
The geopolitical context highlights WHRDs’ prioritization of skills and knowledge building around individual and collective safety, including digital safety. While evidence of online gender-based violence and the dangers of Big Tech’s capitalist logic is no longer disputed, policy advocacy must validate WHRDs’ freedoms and rights in relation to their agency and self-determination, and in relation to data sovereignty including their right to disconnect, among others.
This context requires a deep understanding of WHRDs’ experiences with technology and feminist holistic protection, as well as their self-identified roles within their organizing contexts. It also necessitates identifying where current policy advocacy approaches fall short of meeting WHRDs’ needs, particularly at the grassroots level, with an intersectional analysis of needs proportional to various contexts.
A collective analysis is crucial around:
- How WHRDs understand themselves
- How technology impacts their work and lives
- What they understand as feminist holistic protection in global conversations grounded in local experiences and contexts
WHRDs come from diverse backgrounds and identify themselves in various ways, including:
- Activists advocating for women’s rights, gender equality, and social justice
- Community leaders organizing and empowering local communities to promote human rights
- Advocates campaigning for policy change and legal reforms to protect women’s rights online and offline
- Support workers providing services and support to survivors of gender-based violence
- Journalists and media workers reporting on human rights issues and promoting women’s voices online and offline
- Lawyers and legal professionals defending women’s rights and challenging discriminatory laws
- Healthcare providers offering medical and reproductive health services to marginalized communities
- Educators and researchers documenting and analyzing human rights violations and promoting gender-sensitive knowledge
- Artists and cultural workers using creative expression to raise awareness and challenge social norms
- Survivors and witnesses sharing personal experiences to raise awareness and push for change
WHRDs may also identify with specific causes, such as disability rights, environmental justice, labor rights, racial and ethnic justice, and women’s rights. Self-identification as a WHRD is often linked to a sense of purpose, passion, and commitment to promoting human rights and challenging gender-based oppression.
However, this comes with increased risks, including:
- Gender-specific threats: online harassment, sexist hate speech, misogynistic language, and gender-based violence
- Privacy and anonymity: protecting identity and work to avoid retaliation or harm
- Secure communication: using end-to-end encrypted messaging apps and emails to protect sensitive information
- Device and account security: regularly updating devices, using strong passwords, and enabling Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
- Online behavior: being cautious when sharing personal information, using pseudonyms or nicknames, and limiting online presence
- Network and Partnerships: building a support network of trusted individuals and organizations for digital safety guidance and assistance
- Digital literacy: developing skills to navigate online risks and staying updated on digital safety tools and best practices
- Holistic approach: addressing digital security as part of overall security and emotional safety
- Organizational support: ensuring organizations supporting WHRDs prioritize digital safety and provide sufficient resources and holistic training
- Specialized resources: utilizing resources and tools specifically designed for WHRDs, such as APC’s Digital Safety toolkit for WHRDs”
In conclusion, the Safety for Voices initiative is a vital effort to protect and empower Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) in the digital age. By understanding WHRDs’ diverse backgrounds, experiences, and self-identified roles, we can better address the intersection of technology, gender, and comprehensive protection. The initiative’s focus on policy advocacy, digital literacy, and holistic security aims to create a safer environment for WHRDs to carry out their crucial work. As we move forward, it is essential to prioritize WHRDs’ needs, particularly at the grassroots level, and to leverage collective efforts, resources, and expertise to ensure their safety, security, and success.
By Prosper Florence
