By Hassan John
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the International Women’s Day, the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) has called on the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, update online privacy and protection laws to facilitate women’s full opportunities in the digital space.
It, therefore, frowned against the misuse of technology against women and girls.
In a statement to mark the International women’s Day, UNFPA charged the Federal Government of Nigeria to accelerate legislative reform to tackle online abuse against women.
The UNFPA, therefore, appealed to the Government of Nigeria to provide opportunities and platforms for women and girls to develop skills that would enable them participate in the digital world.
“Technology is essential to advancing gender equality. When women and girls can access and use technology safely, they can amplify their voices and exercise their agency and autonomy, giving them a platform that can transform their future – and ours,” says UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem.
The statement reiterated that efforts must be made to prevent technology from being misused against women and girls as a tool of subjugation and violence.
UNFPA, according to the statement, is combating digital violence by providing survivors with response services when and where they need them.
“We are also building awareness of the issue to empower survivors – including through our interactive feature The Virtual Is Real and our body-right campaign.
“And we are working to prevent digital violence at the outset by transforming harmful social and gendered norms – and by supporting technology development that includes women and girls and builds in safety and privacy by design,” the statement read.
It also disclosed that all over, UNFPA is also exploring the impact of the digital gender gap on economic and social inequalities; spotlighting the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces; and addressing the ever-evolving problem of technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
Technology, the UNFPA explained, is not the enemy. It holds tremendous power for good – expanding networks, education, opportunities, minds. It gives voice to those who have long gone unheard.
The statement noted that including women and girls in the creation and advancement of technology is key to ensuring the safety, usability and inclusivity of digital tools and products.
With that in mind, for International Women’s Day this year, “UNFPA joins the Federal Government of Nigeria to celebrate women and girls who champion the advancement of transformative technology.”
