Campaign Launch: "Keep your chats Exactly That!"

You are cordially invited to an innovative Campaign Launch! ‘’Keep Your Chats Exactly That!’’

Girls’Net, a daughter project of Women’sNet has embarked on a campaign to promote safe and assertive use of phone chats and other forms of social networking tools. This campaign aims to empower young people to prevent them from becoming victims of harassment, bullying and violence when using the internet and cell phones. Additionally, we aim to help young people use these tools in affirmative ways to advocate for change on issues of concern to them.

We are inviting interested individuals, organisations, potential partners, collaborators, funders and promoters to join us in a discussion that will launch “keep your Chats Exactly That!” - a campaign to promote internet and mobile safety for young people.

Discussion Topics for the day:

• What regulations exist in ICTs, particularly phone chats and internet in South Africa?
• Cellphone Social networks: What do they say about dangers and safety?
• Gender and Information and Communication Technologies – does gender matter in cyber space?

Launch Details:

Time: 10h00 for 10h 30am- until 12h 30pm

Please RSVP your attendance to Eva at women@womensnet.og.za , for directions to Women'sNet

Background of the Campaign:

Through the “Keep your Chats Exactly That!” campaign, we seek to empower young people with information on how to assert themselves when confronted with harassment. This campaign, therefore serves to address violence experienced in internet and cellular phones by raising awareness and disseminating information. This will be done through distribution of stickers, fact sheets, posters and outreach to schools, learners, parents and NGOs. For further information and document on the concept, please see the Women’sNet website .

Girls’Net, as part of our “Keep your Chats Exactly That!” campaign, visited schools and discovered that many learners had been subject to bullying, sexual harassment and pornography. Some learners were exposed to, and interacted with, pornographic materials. The learners either viewed pornography from family/ friends/ relatives' phones or their own. They also reported viewing and sharing pornography they downloaded from the internet or received from their friends. Learners also reported sharing each other’s naked pictures. In addition, young people reported constant bullying, stalking and harassment whiles using cell phones. In focus group interviews we conducted when investigating the use of social networks, girls reported that they withdrew from mobile social networks because of sexual harassment.

About Girls'Net:

Girls'Net is a South African social and multi- media programme that gets girls involved in the use of ICTs for their own development. Girls'Net recognizes the significance of ICTs in the lives of girls and in their potential for development. However the project also acknowledges the dangers of ICTs where predators can use them as a platform and a tool to violate girls. We support capacity building, enagement and social activities to enable girls to harness the safe use of ICTs to realise their potential. Girls'Net is a project of Women'sNet.