Increasing the Safe Use of Internet by Women and Girls

Child Helpline Cambodia

Increasing the Safe Use of Internet by Women and Girls

Child Helpline Cambodia

The project strengthened the capabilities of existing 16 helpline ambassadors aged between 15 and 25 on the safe use of internet based on the existing manual of SafeWeb and how to report online abuse to Child Helpline Cambodia via the free helpline telephone mechanism. The trained 16 helpline ambassadors organized 5 pilot echo awareness sessions on the safe use of internet to girls, and women in their communities, i.e. in Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Siem Reap, Koh Kong, and Svay Rieng. Echo awareness training was a participatory training workshop delivered to other women and girls by the trained helpline ambassadors. Child Helpline Cambodia reviewed and edited the existing training manual “SafeWeb” to incorporate gender equality and friendly complaint and response mechanism, which was a community based structure for reporting and response to abuse and violence both online and offline.

Additionally, the project supported the free helpline telephone mechanism and online question and answer platform 24/7 to empower girls and women with information on the safe use of internet and gender equality, response to reports on online abuse, and refer victims of abuse to access psycho- social support services. Child Helpline Cambodia has organized a brief consultation with helpline ambassadors (girls and boys) in March 2018 on the design of helpline ambassador training in the area of internet safety and friendly reporting and response mechanism. The consultation has revealed the needs of self-protection for safety of women and girls in the use of internet and social media due to the increase use of smart phones. The female helpline ambassadors voiced up their supports of incorporating gender equality content and participatory approach into the SafeWeb manual. The helpline ambassador training program should have used more visual aids such as pictures and videos so that women and girls with low literacy can easily understand the contents.

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