Internet Society Lesotho Chapter Hosts Stakeholder Workshop on Combating Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence
Mokhotlong, — The Internet Society Lesotho Chapter convened a landmark Stakeholder Engagement Workshop in Mokhotlong focused on tackling Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV). The event gathered key representatives from government, civil society, healthcare, law enforcement, and community organizations to confront the rising challenges of gender-based violence in digital spaces.
Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence
Addressing the Growing Online Threat
Technology-driven gender violence — such as online harassment, sextortion, impersonation, and doxing — has surged with increased internet use. In response, the Internet Society Lesotho Chapter spearheaded this workshop to raise awareness, foster knowledge-sharing, and bolster collective strategies to enhance digital safety, especially for women, youth, and vulnerable groups.
Diverse Stakeholder Participation
Attendees included:
- Red Cross — Trafficking in Persons (TIP)
- Lesotho Correctional Services
- Social Work Sector focused on HIV/AIDS
- LANFE
- BAYLOR College of Medicine
- Lesotho Mounted Police Service (Criminal Investigation Division and Child Protection Unit)
These participants mainly represented the District Child Protection Team in Mokhotlong.
Workshop Highlights
Digital Rights and Freedoms
Facilitated by Mamoqenelo Morolong, this session explained fundamental digital rights including privacy, security, consent, and data protection, and explored balancing privacy and public interest.
Cybersecurity and Data Protection
Tšoloane Lebina demonstrated practical tools such as VPNs, private DNS, and two-factor authentication. Naleli Makakane covered relevant legislation like the Data Protection Act and the Computer and Cybercrime Bill.
Understanding TFGBV
Seabata Makoae unpacked multiple forms of TFGBV, its primary victims, and underlying causes rooted in patriarchal norms, highlighting the severe psychological impacts and its growing prevalence even among children.
Challenges and Collective Solutions
- Gaps in digital evidence admissibility and law enforcement capacity.
- Limited cybersecurity awareness and training.
- Organizational vulnerabilities to cyberattacks.
- The need for regulated social media content policies.
Key Recommendations
- Legal recognition of digital evidence in courts.
- Ongoing training in digital rights, ethics, and cybersecurity.
- Development of content moderation protocols for official platforms.
Moving Forward
The workshop concluded with renewed commitments to safeguarding digital rights and creating an inclusive, secure online environment through shared accountability and collaborative efforts among stakeholders.