Lawyers Network Against Digital Violence: Launches an Awareness Campaign to Empower and Protect Women Digitally – Under the Slogan “Towards a Safe Digital Space for Women”
The Awareness Campaign Kicks Off in Mafraq Governorate with the Participation of the Danish Institute for Human Rights, Aiming to Strengthen Women’s Digital and Legal Awareness
Today, the first activities of the awareness campaign implemented by the Lawyers Network Against Digital Violence were launched in Mafraq Governorate. The campaign targets women from the local community with the aim of strengthening their digital and legal awareness, empowering them to use technology safely, enhancing their ability to prevent and respond to the risks of digital violence, and familiarizing them with protection measures and response and reporting mechanisms.
Lawyer Susan Al-Tahan, a member of the Network, delivered the lecture entitled “Towards a Safe Digital Space for Women: Awareness, Prevention and Protection.” The lecture addressed the concept of digital violence, its main forms, and the risks women may face in the digital environment, as well as the steps to be taken when experiencing any form of digital violence.
The lecture also addressed prevention and protection measures, mechanisms for safely responding to cases of digital violence, and the relevant authorities that women can approach to file complaints and seek assistance. It also provided an overview of the legal penalties applicable to perpetrators of digital violence-related offenses.
An Institutional Role in Prevention and Awareness
Lawyer Taghreed Al Dughmi, founder of the Lawyers Network Against Digital Violence, emphasized that the launch of these lectures marks a shift toward leveraging the capacities of women lawyers who are members of the Network to serve the community by providing women with digital and legal awareness through an institutional approach.
She explained that the role of a lawyer should not be limited to providing legal assistance after violence has occurred, but should also extend to prevention and awareness-raising, strengthening knowledge of digital rights, raising awareness of the risks of digital violence and ways to prevent it, and providing information on protection and response mechanisms. This also includes drawing on the legal and technical expertise that women lawyers have developed in this field.
Al Dughmi added that the Lawyers Network Against Digital Violence initiative comes in response to the recommendations of the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Jordan, particularly those concerning combating violence against women by raising community awareness, building the capacities of women lawyers, and developing their skills to advocate for women and enable them to access justice.
Partnership and International Support
For her part, Ms. Kholoud Shokhawha, Director of the Danish Institute for Human Rights in Jordan, noted that during the previous phase, the project focused on building the capacities of women lawyers in technical and legal areas through training on digital empowerment, digital security and safety, and advocacy and litigation skills in digital violence cases. This contributed to preparing a group of women lawyers with specialized expertise in this field.
Shokhawha noted that the Lawyers Network Against Digital Violence represents a distinctive and unique experience in the region, as it invests in the capacities of women lawyers and works to establish a specialized group capable of addressing cases of digital violence, while also transferring this knowledge and expertise to women and the local community.
Mr. Karol Lemondin, the Danish Institute for Human Rights’ representative for the Middle East and North Africa region, attended the launch of the campaign as part of the Institute’s support for efforts aimed at strengthening the protection of women from digital violence and raising awareness of digital rights and prevention and protection mechanisms.
These lectures are part of the Network’s efforts to expand its community impact and share the knowledge and expertise acquired by women lawyers with women across different governorates, contributing to a safer digital space and strengthening women’s ability to protect their rights and respond to the risks of digital violence in an informed and safe manner.
