The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launched the bodyright campaign in Botswana on Friday, 22 November, as part of this year's 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. The Bodyright Right campaign, which advocates for the protection of people's rights online as copyright material, is a first step to effectively address prevention and response to online violence in Botswana.
Ms. Tlangelani Shilubane-Pietersen, the Head of the Office of the UNFPA in Botswana, addressed delegates at the launch in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, stating that they are aware that gender-based violence (GBV) exists in the virtual world and that online abuse violates human rights and bodily autonomy.
She emphasized that Bodyright is an evidence-based worldwide campaign with the necessary resources to support its collaborative efforts to achieve meaningful results. The campaign emphasizes that corporate logos and copyrighted intellectual property are more highly valued and better protected than images of people's bodies online. It also drives the message that women, girls, and other marginalized communities are violated online, calling policymakers, companies, and individuals to account.
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, the research and analysis division of the Economist Group, 85 percent of women with internet access have witnessed online violence against other women, with 38 percent directly experiencing it. Furthermore, 92 percent of women report that online violence hurts their sense of well-being, and more than one-third have had mental health concerns as a result of online abuse.
To put a stop to the violation, Ms. Shilubane-Pietersen emphasized the need to invest more resources and generate more political will to eliminate such violence in all forms.
"As UNFPA, we are mobilizing partners, resources, and programming with the goal of making all spaces safe for women and girls, everywhere," she added.
Another speaker, the United Nations Resident Coordinator Mr. Zia Choudhury, emphasized that this was not just a campaign but a call for action.
“This campaign is a call to action to drive real change and claim online protection for every girl, woman, and young person and take technology-facilitated violence as seriously as copyright infringement is taken,” he said.
During a panel discussion, Digital Forensics Specialist Mr. Olaotse Selala from the Botswana Police Service (BPS) highlighted the efforts of the Cyber Forensics Branch in reinforcing online safety and prosecuting cyber abuse perpetrators. The branch conducts public education programs, including visits to schools, to teach online safety practices. However, Mr. Selala acknowledged the challenges of cyber investigations, particularly in tracking perpetrators who use fake accounts and pseudonyms.
In her closing, the Chairperson of the National Gender Commission, Ms. Joy Phumaphi, emphasized that many Batswana are unaware of cyber laws and the existence of the BPS cyber branch. She stressed the need for extensive public education and awareness campaigns about cybercrime and online safety.
"Women and girls are already going through so much in the physical world due to gender-based violence. Let us work together to ensure that they do not experience the same in the virtual world," she lamented.
The launch of the Bodyright campaign in Botswana is expected to deepen collaboration with various partners, including the media, government, civil society, the private sector, social media influencers, and communities, to amplify the power of actions to end online violence.
Deploying the ⓑ symbol as a new “copyright” mark to protect the digital rights of users in Botswana and globally, UNFPA is rallying a variety of stakeholders to promote the safe and ethical use of technology and develop tangible actions to end online violence.
