After identifying digital gaps and the unfair participation of women on the internet, Policy, in partnership with Media Focus on Africa (MFA) and the Uganda Media Women’s Association (UMWA), developed the Afro Feminist Internet Scorecard. This tool can be used to monitor and assess the progress and challenges related to achieving an inclusive internet for all across Africa.
This Future of Work Program was implemented over the past two years, directly engaging with women media practitioners across both legacy and alternative media in Kenya and Uganda. In 2023, the program expanded to include five additional countries—Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Cameroon, Senegal, and Mozambique—bringing the total to seven countries participating in the initiative.
This tool, developed between September 2023 and July 2024, aims to help women, particularly those in media, better understand and leverage the opportunities technology offers while enhancing their digital resilience to effectively address associated challenges.
During the launch of the tool at Fairway Hotel in Kampala, participants were introduced to a multi-stakeholder approach for achieving a fair and inclusive internet for women through Communities of Practice (CoPs). These included monitoring and assessing digital landscapes from a feminist African perspective.
By the end of the workshop, participants had formed three Communities of Practice: one focused on capacity building, another on advocacy and awareness, and the third on policy and legal frameworks. Each group aimed to emphasize the importance of equitable internet access, particularly for women in Africa.
With these community of practice engagements, Policy and its partners believe that women in media, as well as other women, will have gained valuable insights into how to access internet spaces safely.
During the workshop, policy Programs Director Phillip Ayazika introduced the participants to the new program and outlined the journey taken to bring the Afro Feminist Scorecard to reality, including the meetings held with all the involved countries.
He emphasized the importance of the program and highlighted the participants’ role in advancing its goals.
Brenda Namata, the Programs Coordinator and Strategic Gender Initiatives & Advocacy Programs Department in policy, notes that policy appreciates the fact that, in previous efforts, they have conducted digital safety and security training for women journalists, but this has been sector-specific. Thus, within the Future of Work Program, a multi-stakeholder approach aims to enhance the safety of women, especially female journalists, in the online space and promote inclusivity for all women in internet-related issues. She adds that this program seeks to create a safe internet where women can engage in social interactions and economically benefit from the opportunities that the internet offers.
Jan Ajwang from Media Focus on Africa notes that access to the internet is a fundamental human right, but some people, especially women, do not have equal access and fairness to fully enjoy it. This disparity needs to be addressed to ensure that women can access the internet and its associated benefits. She adds that if women are left behind in accessing the internet, it impairs their work and prevents them from benefiting from its opportunities.
