AfDec at FIFAfrica20

The African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms Coalition (AfDec) Coordinator, Koliwe Majama, was a panelist at the Africa Internet Rights Alliance (AIRA) rollout event at the 7th edition of the annual Forum on Internet Freedom Africa (FIFAfrica20). The panel had a discussion on digital rights: their importance as they constitute human rights; the need for collaboration and partnership between state and non-state actors to boost the digital rights agenda; and the role of the legal fraternity in facilitating the protection of digital rights through strategic litigation. The AfDec coordinator highlighted the necessity of collaboration between state actors, who further legitimize digital rights, and non-state actors, such as civil society organizations and businesses, as they contribute a multi-faceted advocacy for digital rights. The panel noted that the current common trends in digital rights, compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic, include the increase in online violence, usually perpetrated against women; increase in cybersecurity breaches and the growing need for access and affordability of the internet.