The Integrated Refugee Organization
(IRO) is proud to have participated in the recent Digital Security and
Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) Training organized by the Strategic
Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA Network) from third
to fifth November 2025 at Kabira Country Hotel, Bukoto, Uganda. This initiative
seeks to empower women human rights defenders (WHRDs), women-led organisations,
and feminist movements across Uganda.
The training brought together 30 participants representing a diverse range of women’s rights organisations and community
groups. Its core aim was to enhance digital resilience, strengthen online
advocacy, and provide practical tools to address the increasing threats of
online harassment, doxxing, surveillance, and other forms of
technology-facilitated gender-based violence that WHRDs face in Uganda.
IRO, facilitated by Donatien
Niyongendako, delivered key hands-on sessions covering:
· Device
safety and hygiene, including operating system updates, anti-virus
installation, and malware detection;
· Secure
communication methods using tools such as Signal and email encryption;
· Two-step
verification for account protection and safe password practices;
· Threat
modelling exercises to identify vulnerabilities, risks, and organisational
capacities;
· Digital
advocacy and engagement in communities of practice for sustained feminist
organising.
The participatory approach included group
work, role plays, and case study analyses, allowing participants to explore
real-life scenarios. These exercises highlighted the offline consequences of
online abuse, the importance of feminist solidarity, and practical measures for
safeguarding personal and organisational digital spaces.
Key outcomes of the training
included:
· Significant
improvement in participant capacity, with average assessment scores increasing
from 2.2 to 4.11,
reflecting enhanced knowledge, skills, and confidence in digital security and
advocacy;
· Strengthened
peer networks and feminist solidarity, fostering collective response strategies
to TFGBV;
· Development
of actionable plans for organisational digital security, ensuring long-term
impact and sustainability.
IRO congratulates SIHA Network, WOUGNET, and all facilitators for conducting a comprehensive and highly
relevant training that contributes to the protection, empowerment, and digital
resilience of WHRDs in Uganda. We remain committed to supporting women human
rights defenders in building safer digital environments and advancing feminist
advocacy across the region.
