Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, said online abuse targeting women has continued in silence for too long. Yakani urged the National Media Authority to issue a circular warning against such behavior. He said social media should be a platform that brings people together, not one that violates rights. Marina Modi, Chairperson of the Media Mentors’ Network, warned of the dangers of misinformation and disinformation in South Sudan’s fragile media environment. She partly blamed the situation on delays in official communication, saying this leaves room for false information to spread.

Marina also stressed the need for crisis communication strategies to fill the information gap, warning
that people could lose trust in public institutions without timely and accurate updates.
She further called for tougher laws to hold those responsible for online abuse accountable.
In response, Advocate Wani Stephen said the government has already taken steps to address the
issue. He cited the Cybercrime and Computer Misuse Act (2021) and new media regulations currently
under review.

Credit: Eye radio

Details: Activists call for stronger digital laws to protect women and girls – Eye Radio