Online gender-based violence undermines women’s political participation in Tanzania
Source: The Guardian
DESPITE Tanzania’s progress toward gender equality in politics, women continue to be significantly underrepresented in leadership roles. This gap is exacerbated by the rise of online harassment targeting women in politics, creating a hostile environment that discourages their participation. Laws such as the Cybercrimes Act of 2015, the Electronic and Postal Communications Act of 2010 (EPOCA), and the National Electoral Act of 2024 mandate gender balance in candidate nominations.
However, female politicians in Tanzania still face substantial challenges, including online abuse that undermines their electoral participation. This reveals that much more needs to be done to ensure women’s equal representation. One of the most pervasive issues faced by women in politics is harassment on digital platforms like social media, WhatsApp, and Telegram.
These attacks often involve the spread of false information, the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, and threatening messages. At political rallies, such abuse is strategically used to intimidate women and discredit them, reinforcing the idea that women do not belong in political spaces.
Read here the full article published by The Guardian on 6 November 2024.
Image by The Guardian
DESPITE Tanzania’s progress toward gender equality in politics, women continue to be significantly underrepresented in leadership roles. This gap is exacerbated by the rise of online harassment targeting women in politics, creating a hostile environment that discourages their participation. Laws such as the Cybercrimes Act of 2015, the Electronic and Postal Communications Act of 2010 (EPOCA), and the National Electoral Act of 2024 mandate gender balance in candidate nominations.
However, female politicians in Tanzania still face substantial challenges, including online abuse that undermines their electoral participation. This reveals that much more needs to be done to ensure women’s equal representation. One of the most pervasive issues faced by women in politics is harassment on digital platforms like social media, WhatsApp, and Telegram.
These attacks often involve the spread of false information, the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, and threatening messages. At political rallies, such abuse is strategically used to intimidate women and discredit them, reinforcing the idea that women do not belong in political spaces.
Read here the full article published by The Guardian on 6 November 2024.
Image by The Guardian