Writers, journalists, bloggers, activists and other media and tech players will get a chance to learn effective techniques to cope with online harassment during a virtual meetup organized by Code for Africa (CfA), on February 22, at 12:00 GMT.
CfA’s Francophone WanaData (WD) Community leaders, Arame Thiam and Christelle Pandja, have convened the meetup to create a framework that would foster the sharing of experience between the participants and will allow them to hear from experts about the best ways to cope with online harassment.
“Online harassment increasingly affects media specialists nowadays, especially women. That’s why, in view of its commitment to digital democracy, it’s crucial for CfA to support women through its WanaData community with the necessary tools and knowledge to cope with the scourge”, says Tolulope Adeyemo, Senior Programme Manager at CfA, leading the Knowledge Management team.
Two (02) guests from CfA and PEN America —a US-based organization which aims to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide, Bilal Taïrou and Elodie Vialle, will lead the session, which is expected to bring together participants mainly from Cameroon, Senegal, and other African French speaking countries including Benin, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Burkina Faso.
A Field Manual against Online Harassment
The two-hour virtual meeting will also provide an opportunity for the participants to learn about PEN America’s Field Manual against Online Harassment.
Originally produced in English, the manual has been translated and adapted into French by CfA, with a focus on African countries.
“The Field Manual against Online Harassment is a powerful tool that provides comprehensive strategies and resources for online abuse defense, including preparation, response, and allyship,” underlines Viktorya Vilk, Program Director for Digital Safety and Free Expression at PEN America.
Participation in the event is free and open to everyone and organizers call upon people to join the meetup by using .
WanaData is a Pan-African network of female data scientists, journalists and technologists working to change the digital landscape by producing and promoting data-driven projects while applying digital technologies in storytelling.
CfA launched the initiative in Nigeria in April 2017 and it now covers several African countries with 400+ across the continent.
