Overview: Peace-Tech Pathfinders Scoping Study
Mapping Gendered Disinformation and Digital Safety for Youth Peacebuilders in Ghana
Digital civic spaces in Ghana are increasingly shaped by gendered disinformation, online harassment, and technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). These harms target young women and gender-diverse advocates—especially those engaging in peacebuilding and community security—often forcing them into self-censorship and withdrawal from public life.
To combat this, Safiya Ibn Garba DTRF, WIIS Nigeria, and Kabilun Africa Think Tank hosted by Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative (EWEI) have partnered with the Youngstars Development Initiative (YDI) Ghana to launch the Peace-Tech Pathfinders Scoping Study.
Our Goal: This 90-day, rapid-response study will map the digital threat landscape across Ghana’s Northern Borders, Middle Belt, and Administrative Security Centres. By targeting 400 young peacebuilders, the study aims to establish a practical baseline on how digital threats impact civic participation.
The Approach: Operated through a low-travel, Accra-centric model, the project utilises virtual threat mapping, anonymous cloud-based surveys, and encrypted incident tracking. It also operationalises the D.E.F.E.N.D. Framework (Document, Evaluate, Filter, Engage, Notify, Disconnect) to equip youth with immediate incident response habits.
Ultimately, this study advances the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda by protecting the “digital sovereignty” of young leaders, ensuring they can safely participate in shaping Ghana’s democratic and security landscape.
Overview: Local Security Audit – Kaduna and Kano States Nigeria
Evaluating Vulnerabilities and Survivor Safety Architectures in Kaduna and Kano States
In navigating the increasingly dynamic and multifaceted socio-security ecosystems of Kaduna and Kano states, this strategic initiative operationalises a holistic framework designed to synergise localised threat paradigms with overarching institutional resilience metrics. By deploying comprehensive conceptual methodologies and leveraging robust stakeholder engagement protocols, the Local Security Audit (LSA) endeavors to continuously monitor, evaluate, and iteratively optimize our understanding of the broader operational environment.
Through the strategic application of multidimensional stress-testing paradigms and contextually adaptive compliance matrices, this project seeks to elevate the baseline of situational awareness across semi-urban clusters. Our cross-functional approach ensures that multifaceted vulnerabilities are mapped through a lens of continuous improvement, thereby facilitating a paradigm shift in how localised safety architectures are conceptualised and integrated.
Ultimately, this initiative is strategically positioned to catalyse proactive capacity-building, streamline community-centric operational modalities, and harmonise overarching programmatic imperatives with the continually evolving realities of the regional landscape. By focusing on sustainable operationalisation and synergised strategic outputs, the audit lays the vital groundwork for future-proofed institutional alignment.
Core Components:
- Field Mapping: Deploying researchers to map localised threat environments and violence patterns using strict, structured agreements.
- Technical Safeguards: Implementing lethality screening checklists, safety briefing logs, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for mandatory survivor referrals to ensure absolute field safety.
- Actionable Advocacy: Translating audit data into comprehensive action plans for targeted engagement and advocacy with local security agencies and other stakeholders.
DIGITAL FORTRESSES
Strengthening Technology-Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TGBV) Resilience for Human Rights Defenders and Activists
Learn more about how to get involved in the brochure below.
WIIS Nigeria Member Directory
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