Addressing Online Gender-Based Violence: My First Facilitation Experience

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During the past week, I had the privilege of facilitating the Kimaseki and Suye school boards in developing strategies for addressing gender-based violence (GBV),Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and violence against children (VAC). After years of working with rural NPA-VAWC committees, this was one of my early experiences in training and facilitating an urban structure in formulating their plans for addressing GBV,VAC and IPV.

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The nature of my group inspired me as a trainer and facilitator to elicit their perspectives on the vulnerabilities women and children face in the context of online GBV. As we engaged in open dialogue, it became clear that children are increasingly accessing the internet at an early age, relying on it for entertainment, education, and socialization. Unfortunately, most parents are not ready to keep up with this trend.

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This dynamic and vibrant group collectively realized and emphasized the critical need for parents to have a clear understanding of online gender-based violence to protect their children. They also underscored the importance of integrating online GBV education into school curriculums and establishing sustainable dialogue platforms about this issue within student-based structures such as clubs.

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A police gender desk officer who participated in the training shared that online GBV cases, particularly revenge porn, are regrettably common. She emphasized the significance of handling online GBV cases with empathy and sensitivity, aligning with the workshop's objectives of encouraging reflection on leadership in this context.

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Considering the rapidly increasing reliance on online platforms, it is imperative to integrate online gender-based violence into government initiatives aimed at addressing GBV, VAC, and intimate partner violence (IPV), such as the National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children (NPA-VAWC). This proposal was endorsed by a diverse group of more than 30 experienced professionals from various fields.

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I would like to express my gratitude to Carol Ndosi and the Launchpad Tanzania for providing me with training on online gender-based violence last December. while reflecting about the session i realized it has impacted my power within against the topic and has significantly enhanced my ability to serve as a trainer and facilitator for driving social change and transformation in the fight against GBV.