Users on digital participation in Uganda

All genders can learn to use digital platforms

Prudence Nyamishana is a blogger and lives in Kampala. She is the founder of Kweeta Uganda and the storytelling platform "This is Uganda."

Prudence Nyamishana is a blogger and lives in Kampala. She works for numerous organizations and is the founder ofKweeta Uganda, a communications agency at the intersection between communication and development and the storytelling platform This is Uganda. She is especially interested in Internet governance and women’s rights issues.

Digital participation means that all genders can learn to use digital platforms and contribute information to them. As an outspoken woman, it is hard sometimes. Most times, trolls waiting for you. There is sexism, misogyny and body shaming. So sometimes as a woman, before I write and post online I have to ask myself what backlash my message might cause. At the end of the day, you have to put out your message without fear or favour. But I have hope in the young people coming online these days. They want to change the narrative around stereotypes of Ugandans. Bloggers are writing about their situation and many more people are getting on social media to create an impact. I hope the situation for women changes as well.

The #speakup barometer is a DW Akademie project that examines the connection between digital participation, freedom of expression and access to information. Learn more at www.dw.com/barometer

Date 12.11.2018
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Date 12.11.2018
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Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/386Xi

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Rights to online expression in Uganda are under threat. They are constrained by overly broad, vaguely defined laws that can be used by politicians to criminalize speech on the Internet they do not like.

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A social media explosion, the dominance of radio and a government in fear of losing control. It can be hard to find your bearings in Uganda’s media landscape—the risks and potential for participation sit side by side.

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