In the Episode 7 of the Africa Wiki Women Voices Podcast, host; Oluwapelumi Aina speaks with Sandra Aceng, Executive Director of Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET), Policy Analyst, and Gender & ICT Researcher, on the Impact of Internet Access on Women’s Right in Africa.
They explore digital inequality as a reflection of the cultural and social inequalities that already exist offline. As these inequalities move into digital spaces, women—especially in Africa—continue to experience marginalization, exclusion, and technology-facilitated violence.
Sandra explains that many women feel compelled to withdraw from online spaces due to: harassment and cyber-violence, data exploitation, misinformation and unsafe or discriminatory digital environments. When women retreat from the internet, it limits their ability to learn, advocate, participate in democracy, and pursue economic opportunities.
“Online Abuse is not just jokes but a form of violence.”
Women and the Digital Divide
Sandra pointed out that online harassment, surveillance, cyber-stalking, cyber-doxing, limited digital literacy, economic exclusion, high cost of access, cultural stigma against women’s visibility online, and lack of trust in law-enforcement responses to digital abuse create psychological harm, weaken confidence, and contribute to digital poverty, limiting women’s access to jobs, learning, markets, and civic participation.
A Call to Reimagine Digital Rights
She however emphasized that digital inclusion without digital security is not progress, it is exposure.
Sandra calls for:
- Digital resilience planning, especially in the face of internet shutdowns that disrupt businesses, e-commerce, and economic livelihoods
- Gender-sensitive digital education in schools, including digital sex education
- Training for both girls and boys, men and women
- Policies and regulations that reflect local realities, languages, and lived experiences
- Community awareness to break stigma
- Safe, accountable digital platforms that prioritize women’s rights and security
Sandra highlights how the internet also brings immense benefits: connection, collaboration, learning, entrepreneurship, and visibility for women’s voices. But to fully realize these gains, digital spaces must be safe, inclusive, and accessible to all.
This conversation challenges us to rethink digital participation as a fundamental right—one that must be protected, supported, and responsibly championed.
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