By Sam Fullah
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has supported Sierra Leone’s efforts to strengthen its response to technology-facilitated gender-based violence through a workshop involving government agencies, police and students, officials said on Friday.
The one-day session brought together the United Nations Development Programme, the Sierra Leone Police, the National Cybersecurity Coordination Secretariat (NCCS), the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, and students from Fourah Bay College.
Participants worked on developing keywords for an E-Monitoring Plus Platform designed to help track and respond to online abuse, according to organisers.
They analysed real-world cases of technology-facilitated gender-based violence, identifying patterns, triggers, hashtags and key actors involved in online harassment and abuse.
Officials said the initiative aims to improve monitoring of digital spaces and strengthen accountability mechanisms to address online harm.
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence has increasingly been recognised as a growing concern in Sierra Leone and other countries as internet access expands.
