February 2022 Newsletter: DRF Launches its Pro-bono Legal Network to Support Women and Girls Experiencing Gender-based Violence Cases.
April 7, 2022April Newsletter 2022: DRF launches Annual Report 2021
May 10, 2022Campaigns:
Women Making Waves: DRF celebrates Women’s Day on 8th March
For Women’s Day this year, DRF launched its long awaited campaign, “Women Making Waves” which highlighted the achievements of women across a diverse range of fields. The spirit, joy, resilience and hard work of women such as Asma Jahangir, Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari, Hina Jillani and Jehan Ara was celebrated.
As part of our campaign, a virtual panel was held in the form of a Tweetchat in which speakers were invited to share their experiences and thoughts regarding Digital Feminism.
DRF Collaborates with META to launch StopNCII
DRF worked alongside Meta to launch the StopNCII (Stop Non-Consensual Intimate Image Abuse) for users in Pakistan. The portal, available in English and Urdu, allows any victims of online blackmailing and extortion to preemptively prevent intimate images to be uploaded onto the platform without their consent.
The portal can be accessed through this link: https://stopncii.org/ or by reaching out to DRF’s Helpline
Policy Initiatives
Survey on Digital Engagement and Experiences of Youth
DRF is conducting research on the “Digital Engagement and Experiences of Pakistani Youth” to map issues faced by young people in Pakistan vis-a-viz the internet. Help us spread the word by sharing the survey among 18 – 35 year olds in Pakistan.
Access the survey: https://t.co/O9fWVCZ4er.
Trainings and Workshops
DRF hosts session with Medical Students on Online Violence
DRF held a session with the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) on Online Violence. Seerat Khan and Hyra Basit conducted a session with IFMSA with students from Allama Iqbal medical university on online violence and the legal landscape currently present in Pakistan. The session was attended by 43 students online in which they shared their experience of navigating online spaces.
UNDP Panel on Gender Equality for a Sustainable Tomorrow
International Women’s Day 2022 Online Deliberation: “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”- On 9th March DRF’s Program Manager Seerat Khan took part in an online panel on Gender Equality today for a sustainable tomorrow for UNDP. The panel had Rukshanda Naz (Ombudsperson KP), Rabia Javeri (Chairperson National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR)), Seerat Khan (Senior Program Manager DRF) and Tahira Abdullah (Independent Human Rights Defender). The session was moderated by Salman Asif ( Senior Human Rights and Social Protection Expert UNDP). Each panelist highlighted different themes of gender based violence in Pakistan and discussed the current discourse on it. The session was in light of the International Women’s Day.
Nighat Dad Moderates Panel, “Justice, not #Hastags”
On March 5th 2022, Nighat Dad moderated a panel titled “Justice, not #hashtags: Navigating Violence Against Women and its Digital Reflection” as part of the WOW Festival 2022. The panel included DRF’s Shmyla Khan along with Imaan Mazari and Asma Shirazi. The discussion was centered around the importance and limitations of online spaces in pursuing gender justice in Pakistan.
The panel can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4HepVth81o&list=PLrgMMGAhwz5geDjpuxXZQnEwO-vwNfv7Q
Panel on Importance of Free Speech
An excellent panel was held by The Future of Free Speech on free speech and content moderation on 17th March, 2022. Experts from the industry, academia and civil society were all present and shared their views on the importance and relevance of free speech in today’s day and age.
Stakeholder Dialogue by CPDI attended by DRF
DRF attended a stakeholder dialogue by CPDI on Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2021 on the 29th of March. The dialogue had meaningful conversations around strong local governments and making them more inclusive. The consultations was attended by MPA’s, civil society, lawyers and judges working on the issue.
DRF’s Meeting with NCHR:
DRF’s team met with the National Commission of Human Rights in Lahore to discuss issues of digital rights, including data protection, content moderation and safety. This meeting was held on 14th March, 2022.
DRF takes part in Report Launch by GPAI 2022
As part of its research as a pilot partner with the Alan Turning Institute UK, DRF took part in the GPAI 2022 “Report launch: advancing research and practice on data justice” panel. Shmyla Khan, the director for research and policy presented DRF’s findings at the panel. This panel was held on 23rd of March, 2022.
You can learn more about the project here.
The panel can be viewed here
DRF Team Meets with Ombudsperson, Punjab
DRF’s team met with the Ombudsperson (Punjab) on 30th March, 2022 to discuss issues faced by survivors of harassment at the workplace and accordingly proposed amendments to the law.
Workshops on Digital Rights Awareness Held in 3 Districts by DRF
DRF conducted 6 one-day workshops in partnership with Simorgh between March 16 to 25, 2022 in three districts of Punjab (Lahore, Kasur and Toba Tek Singh). The workshops by DRF focused on issues of online safety and digital rights awareness for communities.
Press and Media Coverage
katalystlabspk
#KatalysingKween @nighatdad is a force to reckon with! She is a lawyer and founder of @DigitalRightsPK focused on making the internet a safe space for everyone, especially women in Pakistan & South Asia
We invite you to our first discussion in three-part webinar series titled “Access to Justice: Obstacles & the way forward”
Topic: No honor in killing – The law & its implication (Review of Criminal Law Amendments 2016 – Mar 2, 2022 06:00 PM
Covid-19 Updates
Cyber Harassment Helpline receives 151 complaints in February
In February, the Cyber Harassment Helpline received a total 151 complaints. Majority of these complaints were received through the medium of calls received on our Helpline number. Types of cases reported were mainly linked to cyber harassment. However, cases of domestic violence, general inquiry and financial fraud were also recorded.
The Cyber Harassment Helpline receives calls from individuals belonging to a range of professions, including journalism, civil society and media personnel. Cyber Harassment can happen to anyone, regardless of their profession or status in society.
