[WSIS CS-Plenary] Example of online safety initiative

[Anriette Esterhuysen]

Dear all

As I am writing this from the CSTD WSIS follow-up session in Geneva, the
ITU is presenting its 'child online protection' initiative being
promoted under the rather appropriate acronym - COP.

It reminded me to share an initiative of an APC member in South Africa,
Women'sNet. Their approach to online safety is to empower users, in this
case girls.  

It would be interesting to hear what people think of Women'sNet's
approach. Those of you who are not familiar with South Africa might not
know that mobile chat is incredibly popular - through a locally
developed application called Mxit.  This is because mobile chat (IM) is
much cheaper than SMS.

Best

Anriette



-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: Sally-Jean <sallys at womensnet.org.za>
Reply-to: "A general information sharing space for the APC Community."
<apc.forum at lists.apc.org>
To: A general information sharing space for the APC Community.
<apc.forum at lists.apc.org>
Subject: [APC Forum] Watch "Keep your Chats Exactly That!" tomorrow
Date: Thu, 14 May 2009 17:51:48 +0200

Dear Partners

Tomorrow we are launching our campaign for online and mobile safety!
Speaking at the launch will be representatives from the South African
Film and Publications Board, Media Monitoring Africa, as well as Love
Life who will talk about their mobile social network called MYMsta.
Women'sNet will  talk about our work, and how we came up with this
campaign. 

We will be streaming video clips live from a cellphone on:
http://www.qik.com/sallyjean, and will be issuing a statement after the
launch too! Please join us online, make comments and let us know what
you think. The Launch starts at 10.30am (Johannesburg time!)

See you in cyber space!
Sally and the Women'sNet/Girl'sNet team: Faith, Eva, Lebo, Lerato, Keba,
and Eunice

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Campaign Launch! ‘’Keep Your Chats Exactly That!’’* 

Girls’Net, a daughter project of Women’sNet has embarked on a campaign
to promote safe and assertive use of phone chats and other forms of
social networking tools. This campaign aims to empower young people to
prevent them from becoming victims of harassment, bullying and violence
when using the internet and cell phones. Additionally, we aim to help
young people use these tools in affirmative ways to advocate for change
on issues of concern to them. 

*We are inviting interested individuals, organisations, potential
partners, collaborators, funders and promoters to join us in a
discussion that will launch “keep your Chats Exactly That!” - a campaign
to promote internet and mobile safety for young people. * 

*Discussion Topics for the day:* 

* What regulations exist in ICTs, particularly phone chats and 
internet in South Africa? 

* Cellphone Social networks: What do they say about dangers and safety? 

* Gender and Information and Communication Technologies – does 
gender matter in cyber space? 

*Launch Details: * 

Date: 15 may 2009 

Where: Women’sNet, Civicus House, 31 Quinn Str. Newtown Johannesburg 

Time: 10h00 for 10h 30am- until 12h 30pm 

_*Please RSVP your attendance to Eva at *__*women at womensnet.og.za
<mailto:women at womensnet.og.za> <mailto:women at womensnet.og.za>*_*by the
8*^*th* * of May * <mailto:women at womensnet.og.za> 

*for directions to Women'sNet http://www.womensnet.org.za/contact-us*
<mailto:women at womensnet.og.za> 

*Background of the Campaign: * 

Through the “Keep your Chats Exactly That!” campaign, we seek to empower
young people with information on how to assert themselves when
confronted with harassment. This campaign, therefore serves to address
violence experienced in internet and cellular phones by raising
awareness and disseminating information. This will be done through
distribution of stickers, fact sheets, posters and outreach to schools,
learners, parents and NGOs. For further information and document on the
concept, please see the Women’sNet website
(_http://www.womensnet.org.za/node/863_). 

Girls’Net, as part of our “Keep your Chats Exactly That!” campaign,
visited schools and discovered that many learners had been subject to
bullying, sexual harassment and pornography. Some learners were exposed
to, and interacted with, pornographic materials. The learners either
viewed pornography from family/ friends/ relatives' phones or their own.
They also reported viewing and sharing pornography they downloaded from
the internet or received from their friends. Learners also reported
sharing each other’s naked pictures. In addition, young people reported
constant bullying, stalking and harassment whiles using cell phones. In
focus group interviews we conducted when investigating the use of social
networks, girls reported that they withdrew from mobile social networks
because of sexual harassment. 

*About Girls'Net:* 

Girls'Net (_http://www.womensnet.org.za/girlsnet_) is a South African
social and multi- media programme that gets girls involved in the use of
ICTs for their own development. Girls'Net recognizes the significance of
ICTs in the lives of girls and in their potential for development. 
-- 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
anriette esterhuysen - executive director
association for progressive communications
p o box 29755 melville - south africa 2109
anriette at apc.org - tel/fax + 27 11 726 1692
http://www.apc.org