By Tusi Fokane |
Over the last 15 years, South Africa has been caught in the midst of an energy crisis with 2023 marking the most challenging period. The country experienced record-breaking power cuts, resulting in 300 days of load shedding at an economic cost of ZAR 1 billion per day (USD 55 million). The power cuts which in some instances…
Statement |
The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) has joined over fifty media and research stakeholders from across Africa in calling for social media platforms to give equal treatment to Africans in line with what is being offered to researchers in major jurisdictions outside the continent. This call is based on the urgent need to…
By Nadine Kampire and CIPESA Writer |
The lead up to the December 2023 general elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has seen an exponential growth in disinformation, particularly on social media. In a country with long-standing armed conflicts and where only one peaceful transfer of power has been witnessed in 63 years of independence, the deluge…
By CIPESA Writer |
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) heads to general elections on December 20, 2023 amidst considerable turbulence, including a deluge of disinformation and endemic insecurity in parts of the country. To move towards building a safer and more democratic society, the Congolese government must break away from its past practice of limiting internet access and…
By Frank Kisakye |
In many instances, persons with disabilities are unable to use digital technologies because these technologies lack “digital accessibility,” namely the ability of a website, mobile application, or electronic document to be easily navigated and understood by a wide range of users, including those with visual, auditory, motor or cognitive disabilities. The issue is especially key in…
By CIPESA Writer |
With the increasing adoption of digital tools in healthcare provision in Africa, these case studies on e-health startups in Ghana, Rwanda and Uganda show how countries are dealing with privacy implications around patient data.
Telemedicine is broadly defined as the delivery of healthcare services including diagnosis, treatment, research, education and evaluation to communities and individuals over long distances…
By Evelyn Lirri |
Across Africa, the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) by women and girls remains low. Yet amidst the low access to digital tools, women, particularly those in public and political spaces, such as human rights defenders (HRDs), bloggers, and journalists, continue to be the primary target of various forms of online violence such as cyberstalking, sexual…
By Juliet Nanfuka |
November 2 marked the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, a United Nations (UN) recognised day observed annually that serves to draw attention to the level of impunity for crimes against journalists. While impunity for crimes against journalists is high and is a global reality, there is a concerning and continued gender-biased undercurrent…
By Juliet Nanfuka |
Across the world, governments are introducing laws to regulate online content. Many of these laws contain provisions that may lead to the increasing removal of legitimate expression as opposed to harmful and illegal content. In turn, the global community continues to grapple with the question of how harmful online content should best be moderated in a manner…
By CIPESA Writer |
The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) has conducted a digital rights training for staff of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in a programme that benefitted 22 experts from various departments of the statutory entity.
The training was a response to the desire by the commission to build its organisational capacity in…