GABORONE, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launched the bodyright campaign in Botswana Friday as part of this year's 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, which advocates for the protection of personal photos online as copyright material.
Tlangelani Shilubane-Pietersen, the head of the Office of the UNFPA in Botswana, addressed delegates at the launch in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, stating that they are aware that gender-based violence (GBV) exists in the virtual world and online abuse violates human rights and bodily autonomy.
She emphasized that bodyright is an evidence-based worldwide campaign with the necessary resources to support its collaborative efforts to achieve meaningful results. The campaign emphasizes that corporate logos and copyrighted intellectual property are more highly valued and better protected than images of people's bodies online. It also drives the message that women, girls, and others are violated online, calling policymakers, companies, and individuals to account.
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, the research and analysis division of the Economist Group, 85 percent of women with internet access have witnessed online violence against other women, with 38 percent directly experiencing it. Furthermore, 92 percent of women report that online violence hurts their sense of well-being, and more than one-third have had mental health concerns as a result of online abuse.
To put a stop to the violation, Shilubane emphasized the need to invest more resources and generate more political will to eliminate such violence in all forms.
"As UNFPA, we are mobilizing partners, resources, and programming with the goal of making all spaces safe for women and girls, everywhere," she added.
The launch of the bodyright campaign in Botswana is expected to deepen collaboration with various partners, including the media, government, civil society, private sector, and communities, to amplify the power of actions to end online violence.
The 16-day campaign will run from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10. ■
