Uganda Women's Network

📢📢 Our Executive Director, Rita H. Aciro-Lakor, is a speaker at a #CSW70 Side Event today, hosted by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (@Mglsd_UG), Uganda, titled: “Strengthening Women’s Access to Economic Justice in Uganda in Collaboration with the World Bank: Sharing Experiences and Lessons Learned Through the GROW Project.” The event is taking place at the United Nations Headquarters, New York. Ms. Aciro will share UWONET’s experience as a @UgGrowproject implementing partner, highlighting lessons on advancing women’s economic justice through social norms change. #WomensEconomicEmpowerment #GenderEquality #CSW70

Ms. Patricia Ainemababazi (@trish4us), Policy & Advocacy Officer at Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (@cipesaug ), highlighted that while major tech companies are strengthening community standards and safety-by-design features to address Technology-Facilitated GBV amongst others, significant gaps remain. She noted that reporting systems on platforms are often confusing, slow, and impersonal, leaving survivors uncertain about next steps or accountability for perpetrators. Emerging threats such as AI-generated sexualized content, impersonation, and cyberbullying require more tailored and survivor-centered responses. She called for stronger collaboration between tech companies, governments, justice actors, and civil society, improved evidence preservation, and greater awareness of reporting mechanisms to ensure digital spaces are safer for women and girls across Africa. #CSW70 @NITAUganda1 @FIDA_Uganda

Ms. Samali Wakooli, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (@ODPPUGANDA) and Head of the Department of Gender, Children and Sexual Offences, highlighted both progress and gaps in addressing Technology-Facilitated GBV. While institutions such as police cyber units exist, she noted major challenges including anonymity of perpetrators, rapid technological changes, and loss of digital evidence before court orders are secured. She also pointed to policy gaps, noting that unlike the Domestic Violence Act 2010, there are no clear legal protections, reporting pathways, or provisions addressing online exploitation and profit from digital abuse. She called for stronger laws, improved evidence preservation, and coordinated collaboration between prosecutors, police, tech platforms, and other stakeholders to ensure accountability. #CSW70 @FIDA_Uganda @NITAUganda1

Ms. Rita H. Aciro-Lakor (@RitaAciro) the Executive Director of Uganda Women's Network (UWONET) has emphasized that Technology-Facilitated GBV is a digital extension of the structural inequalities women have long faced. Women leaders, journalists, entrepreneurs and young girls are increasingly targeted through cyberstalking, harassment and image-based abuse aimed at silencing their voices. She has stressed that gaps in reporting systems, victim-blaming attitudes, and limited institutional readiness continue to hinder survivors’ access to justice. Strengthening digital literacy, collective solidarity, responsive justice systems and sustained investment in women’s movements is key to ensuring safer digital spaces. #CSW70 @NITAUganda1

Mr. Bouwe-Jan Smeding (@bjsmeding), the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands inUganda @NLinUganda, in his opening remarks has commended @FIDA_Uganda and @UWONET for their timely work addressing Technology-Facilitated GBV. He has highlighted that while digital platforms expand women’s participation in public life, they are increasingly used to silence women including journalists, politicians, and other public figures through cyberstalking, bullying, and online abuse. He has emphasized the need for strong laws, platform accountability, public awareness, and collaboration with civil society to ensure safer digital spaces and uphold gender equality. #CSW70

Hon. Betty Amongi, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development @Mglsd_UG, has opened this #CSW70 Side Event on Access to Justice in Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV). She has highlighted rising digital threats such as cyberstalking and online harassment affecting women’s safety, livelihoods, and participation online. She has emphasized Uganda’s legal frameworks and called for stronger collaboration between Government, Tech companies, Civil Society, and justice actors to ensure safe and inclusive digital spaces for women and girls. @NITAUganda1 @ODPPUGANDA

Our Executive Director, @RitaAciro , will be speaking at our #CSW70 Side Event on the urgent and growing challenge of Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV). Drawing from years of movement building, policy advocacy and working alongside women’s rights organisations across Uganda, she will contribute to the conversation on Access to Justice in Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence: Are we prepared for the escalating digital threats? Her insights will ground the global discussion in the lived realities of women and girls navigating both opportunity and risk in digital spaces. Join us for this important conversation as we explore what preparedness, accountability and justice must look like in the digital age. Friday, 13 March 2026 5:00–6:30 PM (EAT) | 10:00–11:30 AM (New York) Meeting Link: meet.google.com/bkh-jozg-mtg #CSW70 #TFGBV #AccessToJustice #GenderEquality #WomensRights