2024-06-03
26 分钟Hello, I'm Dashiani Navanayagam, and welcome to the conversation, the program that brings together two extraordinary women from around the world and allows them to share their personal stories and experiences with each other and us.
Now, how safe do you feel online?
If the answer is pretty safe, are you a man?
If you are, then that makes sense, because when it comes to interacting online, women are considerably more at risk from cyber harassment than men.
There isn't a one size fits all solution to tackling this.
So today I'm speaking to two women from Pakistan and Kenya who have taken the lead on combating this in culturally specific ways.
Mikhail dad is a pakistani lawyer and founder of Digital Rights Foundation, a charity organization focused on cyber harassment, data protection, and free speech online throughout Pakistan and South Asia.
And Lillian Olivia Orrero is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and an award winning author who has created the community based organization safe online women.
Kenya.
Nikhart, Lilian.
Olivia, welcome to the conversation.
Thank you so much for having us.
Nikhart, you were born in a small village in the Punjab.
Tell me what your relationship with technology was like growing up.
When did you first go online?
Yeah, so, you know, women's experience with technology in Pakistan is often restricted and limited since their access to devices and the Internet isn't very common.
It wasn't very common when I started using technology.
Women are mostly subjected to social surveillance, where their devices are constantly being checked by their male family members or partners.
There is this negative image of women who basically express themselves online or share their pictures or videos online.
There is very weird stigma attached to it.