Digital Democracy Project

As the world marks the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the 2025 theme … UNITE to End Violence Against All Women and Girls, rings with urgency and clarity. At BARO, we embrace this call with a deliberate focus on ending violence against women and girls in digital spaces. Because digital violence is not abstract. It is real, relentless, and deeply harmful. It affects one in three women globally, and its impact reverberates through every corner of society. Picture this: a young girl in Uganda receives threatening messages after refusing to share intimate photos. A woman’s private images are leaked without consent, her reputation shredded overnight. A student is bullied into silence for expressing her views online. These are not isolated incidents, they are part of a growing crisis. As mobile access expands and digital platforms become central to daily life, the risks multiply. Through our Digital Democracy Project, we’ve heard these stories firsthand while educating students on safe internet use and digital rights. Digital violence is a human rights emergency. But awareness alone is not enough. We need a reckoning. Survivors must be seen not as victims, but as rights-holders. Governments, tech platforms, and institutions must be held accountable. Laws must evolve to protect against online abuse. Justice must be accessible. And digital spaces must be governed by principles of dignity, equity, and inclusion. In Uganda, change is already underway. Initiatives like the Digital Democracy Project and youth-led advocacy are challenging harmful norms and building safer online communities. These efforts are shaping policy, empowering students, and defending digital dignity. But the fight requires more than a few brave voices, it demands collective action. Men and boys, educators and developers, policymakers and parents, everyone has a role to play. As Barack Obama once said, “Together we can change our culture for the better by ending violence against women and girls… all of us, in our lives, have the power to set an example.” This year, let’s make the 16 Days of Activism more than a campaign. Let’s make it a turning point. Let’s UNITE—not just in hashtags, but in classrooms, courtrooms, boardrooms, and code. Let’s build digital spaces that are safe, inclusive, and just. Gender-based violence, online or offline, is not inevitable. It is a choice society makes. And it is a choice we can unmake. From November 25 to December 10, join us in rallying around this theme. Visit our page for daily messages, SMS tips, student reflections, and community resources. Let’s make digital violence a thing of the past. Let’s make Uganda a leader in the fight for digital dignity. Let’s make it happen … together.

Today, September 21st, the world pauses to mark the International Day of Peace … a day not just for reflection, but for resolve. The United Nations’ theme this year, “Act Now for a Peaceful World,” is a rallying cry for communities across the globe to move beyond platitudes and into purposeful action. In Uganda, where the countdown to the 2026 national elections has begun, this call could not be more timely, or more urgent. Peace is not a distant dream reserved for diplomats and declarations. It is a daily decision, shaped by how we speak, how we lead, and how we engage, especially in the digital spaces that now define our civic lives. Uganda’s youth, who make up over 75% of the population, are increasingly turning to social media and messaging platforms to express their views, mobilize peers, and hold leaders accountable. But with this power comes responsibility. The digital arena can be a force for unity, but it can also fuel division. Hate speech, misinformation, and online harassment are not just disruptive, they are dangerous. They erode trust, inflame tensions, and threaten the very fabric of democratic participation. As one student in Fort Portal recently shared during a Digital Democracy Project workshop, “I used to think the internet was just for fun. Now I see it’s also a battlefield, and I want to be a peacekeeper.” Initiatives like BARO’s Digital Democracy Project are helping young Ugandans become just that. Through school-based trainings, community dialogues, and SMS campaigns, the project is equipping youth with the tools to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly. It’s not just about avoiding harm … it’s about actively building peace. As Facilitator Peter put it, “We’re not just teaching digital literacy. We’re teaching digital citizenship.” This Peace Day, we must recognize that peace is not confined to treaties or town halls. It must extend to comment sections, group chats, and viral threads. It must be visible in how we respond to dissent, how we amplify truth, and how we protect dignity, especially for women, girls, and marginalized voices who are often the first targets of online abuse. As we approach the 2026 elections, let us remember the words of Wangari Maathai: “You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them, and you help them understand that these resources are their own.” The same is true of peace. It must be owned, understood, and practiced—by all of us. So today, let’s act. Let’s act in our homes, our schools, our communities, and our digital spaces. Let’s act with courage, with compassion, and with clarity. Because peace is not passive. It is powerful. And it begins with us. Act now … for a peaceful Uganda. Act now … for a peaceful world.