AS the world commemorates International Women’s Day (IWD), human rights lawyers in Zimbabwe have urged government, the public, service providers and other stakeholders to help end online violence against women.
International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
This year’s IWD theme is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.
The theme highlights not only how technology is important to advancing rights, but a growing digital gender gap that is impacting everything from job opportunities for women and their safety online.
Commemorating the day on Wednesday, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) called upon internet service providers to review downwards data costs to promote women’s access to digital spaces.
“Stop online defamation and disinformation campaigns, identify and prevent human rights abuses against women online, as well as dismantling harmful gender stereotypes.
“End impunity for perpetrators of online gender-based violence, close the digital divide by revisiting and revising downwards the mobile data and internet fees being charged by mobile telephone operators and internet service providers,” ZLHR said.
The rights lawyers also encouraged stakeholders to improve the participation and welfare of women in all sectors.
“Eliminate all forms of disparity and inequality and help forge a gender-equal world and shun gender inequality, gender discrimination and biases against women.
“Improve the welfare of all women and fulfil their constitutional obligation to ensure the full participation of women in all sectors of society, including in the forthcoming elections, on the basis of equality with men,” ZLHR added.
