Govt urged to include online GBV in Domestic Violence Act

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By Sibahle Malinga, ITWeb senior news journalist.Johannesburg, 21 Oct 2020

Cape Town-based digital policy and regulation think tank Research ICT Africa, in collaboration with advocacy groups, is calling on government to consider online violence against women in the Domestic Violence Amendment Bill.

The group – consisting of members from Research ICT Africa, the Association for Progressive Communications, ALT Advisory and feminist group Feministing While African – will today be making a public submission to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services in response to the Domestic Violence Amendment Bill.

Focusing on the prevalence of emerging technologies and the potential for harm, violence and abuse in the digital environment − for example, the non-consensual distribution of intimate images by intimate partners − the group says it will urge Parliament to ensure the Bill reflects these emerging and developing challenges to enable victims and survivors of domestic violence, both on- and offline, to benefit from the maximum protection the law can provide.

Read the rest of the article on IT Web.

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