Blog – Page 69 of 158 – Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)

12Nov

Call for Applications: Round Two of the Africa Digital Rights Fund (ADRF)

admin November 12, 2019

Call for Applications |
The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) is pleased to invite applications for round two of the Africa Digital Rights Fund (ADRF).
Launched in April 2019, the ADRF responds to rising digital rights violations such as arrests and intimidation of internet users, network shutdowns, and a proliferation of laws and regulations that hamper internet access and affordability. It offers flexible and rapid response grants to select initiatives in Africa to implement activities that advance digital rights and the potential of technology to uphold human rights, advance democratic governance or drive innovation.
In the inaugural round of ADRF, initiatives with activities spanning 16 African countries received a total of USD 65,000.
In round two, the ADRF seeks to support initiatives in various thematic areas, including but not limited to the following:

Access and affordability
Access to Information
Cybercrime
Data protection and privacy
Digital economy
Digital Identity (ID)
Digital security
Diversity and inclusion
eGovernance
Freedom of expression
Hate speech
Innovation for democratic participation, transparency and accountability (civic and social tech)
Misinformation/Disinformation
Network disruptions
Strategic litigation
Surveillance

Grant amounts range between USD 1,000 and USD 20,000, depending on the need and scope of the proposed intervention. The ADRF strongly encourages cost-sharing. The grant period will not exceed 10 months. It is anticipated that around 15 grants will be awarded in this round.
Together with the inaugural winners, round two grantees will be eligible for technical and institutional capacity building, including on data literacy and advocacy skills through the Data4Change initiative. As such, applicants are encouraged to identify existing data sets or indicate willingness to collect and collate data as may be relevant to the proposed initiatives.
The deadline for submissions is Friday December 6, 2019. Read more about the Fund and round two guidelines here. The application form can be accessed here.

11Nov

Nigeria Fails to Guarantee Human Rights for Marginalised Groups

admin November 11, 2019

By Babatunde Okunoye and Ashnah Kalemera |

With a population of over 190 million, Nigeria is Africa’s largest telecommunications market, boasting more telephone and internet users than any other country on the continent. Over the past 20 years, the country has transitioned from a military regime to a relative democracy, albeit with human rights challenges, especially for marginalised populations and increasingly, in the online sphere.

With an internet penetration of 27%, millions of Nigerians have flocked online to communicate and express themselves in ways not possible during the decades of military rule. The internet and social media have become effective vehicles for channelling citizens’ criticism of government, and have also enabled journalists to quickly report and disseminate stories on corruption and poor service delivery.

However, the vigorous online activity of Nigerians has been met with stiff resistance from the political elite. Although sections 38 and 39 of the Nigerian Constitution guarantee freedom of thought and expression, a number of laws restrict free speech. Among them is the 2015 Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevent) Act. Section 24 of this law which speaks to cyber-stalking is a major instrument for the prosecution of bloggers, journalists and critical voices online.

Similarly, sections 52 and 60 (chap. 7) of the Criminal Code provide that slander, libel and defamation are criminal offences punishable by imprisonment. Accusations of libel are used by state authorities against journalists and bloggers for critical or “negative” reporting. Meanwhile, although the Constitution guarantees the privacy of citizens’ correspondence, Nigeria has no specific legislation that protects data privacy of citizens offline and online.

As a United Nations (UN) member state, Nigeria underwent the third cycle human rights assessment under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism during the 31st session of the Human Rights Council in November 2018. In its national report, the Nigeria delegation noted the development of a Cyber Security Strategy with key components on data protection and privacy. It added that the country was in the process of finalising a national action plan on business and human rights “in response to the call by the United Nations to address the negative impact of business on human rights.”

During the session, Nigeria went on to receive a total of 290 recommendations regarding human rights protection at legal and institutional level. Whereas digital rights including the right to privacy and the right to freedom of opinion and expression online were not reflected in the recommendations made to Nigeria, five from Australia, Italy, Canada, Ireland and Chile relating to freedom of association, expression, and privacy are implicitly relevant to the online sphere. Nigeria also received up to 14 recommendations on equality and non-discrimination, with regards to women and sexual minorities, which are relevant to internet freedom.

These recommendations echoed those in previous reviews that remained largely unimplemented, with the internet freedom landscape characterised by censorship, arbitrary detentions and arrests of journalists, bloggers and citizens for comments made online. Obtaining access to public information also remained a challenge, as did access and affordability to the internet. Read more about UPR and internet Freedom in Nigeria under cycle one and two and recommendations submitted by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), Small Media, and Paradigm Initiative

In March 2019, Nigeria went on to accept 240 of the 290 recommendations. It is reported that the Nigerian delegation stated that they did not support recommendations on rights of sexual minorities, on the grounds of being “against national values”. Provisions under section 4 of the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act prohibit the “registration of gay clubs, societies and organisations” as well as “the public show of same sex amorous relationship directly or indirectly”. If found guilty, the penalty is 10 years imprisonment.

As internet freedom advocacy in Nigeria continues, including via the push to pass the revised Digital Rights and Freedom Bill, and implementation of the recommendations from the 31st session of the Human Rights Council in preparation for Nigeria’s next UPR in November 2023, it is imperative that efforts emphasise the need for freedom of opinion, expression, association and assembly, online and offline, to be realised for all segments of society – including religious, ethnic and sexual minorities.

08Nov

Call For Proposals: Operations, Strategic Communication and Capacity Building Support for the African Internet Rights Alliance (AIRA)

admin November 8, 2019

Call for Proposals |
The African Internet Rights Alliance (AIRA) – an alliance of ten civil society organizations based in Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Senegal – are pleased to issue this open call for proposals for a consultancy to support the operation, strategic planning and communications capacity building of the Alliance. Members of the Alliance agree to work in collaboration with each other to advance a positive environment around Digital Rights on the African continent within the next three to five years.
Further information on the call can be found here.

07Nov

Financial Inclusion in Africa in an Era of Internet Shutdowns

admin November 7, 2019

By Selassie Tay |

The World Bank estimates that 1.7 billion people globally are without any form of financial account as at 2018. In Sub-Saharan Africa, data from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) shows that the level of financial inclusion grew from 23% in 2011 to almost 43% in 2017, with a significant proportion attributed to digital financial services such as mobile money.

However, the lack of access and usage of financial services by the majority of the population on the continent impedes their ability to contribute to the economy as they are not able to accumulate capital or access credit for production and consumption purposes. This underscores the importance of financial inclusion as a socio-economic development tool. Indeed, financial inclusion has emerged strongly as a topical issue among policymakers, development practitioners and the private sector, who recognise it as an enabler of attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

With mobile penetration and mobile internet access reaching 45% and 24% respectively in Africa, digital finance – notably mobile money wallets and fintechs – has emerged strongly as a tool towards promoting financial inclusion across the continent. The number of registered mobile money accounts in Sub-Sahara Africa stood at 395.7 million as of 2018.

Ghana is among the countries leading the drive to expand financial inclusion by leveraging digital solutions. Mobile penetration is 67% and internet access via mobile is 45%. The Bank of Ghana estimates that approximately 7.3 million of Ghana’s adult population is unbanked. As of 2018, there were 32 million registered mobile money accounts across the country’s three leading mobile money operators. These mobile money accounts are generally used for person-to-person and person-to-business transactions. Account holders are able to access savings, credit, investment products as well as make payments for goods and services via mobile phone.

On the other hand, Fintechs use protocols to deliver financial services to their customers. Currently, there are 71 fintechs offering financial solutions to businesses and individuals in Ghana. An example is Fido Credit, a financial technology company that offers fast and easy short-term loans to the unbanked through an app.

Recognising the role that financial inclusion plays in economic development and poverty alleviation, Ghana, like many African governments, is working on improving access to financial services for the underserved. It has drafted a financial inclusion strategy document which has a digital finance policy as one of the pillars to increase financial inclusion from 58% to 75% by the close of 2023, demonstrating a strong political commitment to nurture innovations. The digital finance policy also places emphasis on driving digital inclusion. To provide robust regulatory framework for financial inclusion through digital channels, the Payment System and Service Act was enacted this year.

These decisive steps by Ghana can provide learning for other African countries. At the 2019 edition of the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica19) held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, it was stressed how increasing mobile penetration and internet access across Africa is positively impacting the digital economy. At the same time, featuring prominently at FIFAfrica19 was the growing trend of internet shutdowns in Africa. According to the State of Internet Freedom in Africa 2019 report which was launched at FIFAfrica19, nearly half of the countries in Africa have experienced an internet shutdown between 2016-2019. Countries such as Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Gabon, Sudan and Zimbabwe were among those that were experiencing restrictions to internet access within the first three weeks of 2019.

Internet shutdowns are defined as a restriction placed on the use of internet services (via mobile or broadband or both) as a result of an order issued by a government body. It may be limited to a specific geographic location and to specific period, time or number of days.

This worrying trend of internet shutdowns impedes efforts towards financial inclusion and economic development. A study by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) shows that internet shutdowns in 10 Sub-Sahara African countries between 2015 and 2017 cost an estimated US$ 237 million with Ethiopia and DR Congo being the most affected.

At individual and Small-Medium Enterprise (SME) levels, in countries such as Uganda, where an instance of an internet shutdown during 2016 also restricted access to mobile money services, the effect on livelihoods and productivity were likely high. Taking the example of Ghana, in the event of an internet shutdown, a customer of an entity such as Fido Credit, which enables customers to apply for a loan directly from their own mobile device, would be unable to access an emergency loan, with potentially dire consequences.

FIFAfrica19 provided a valuable platform to bring to the fore the conflict between regressive digital rights practices such as internet shutdowns and the quest for financial inclusion in Africa. Governments across Africa must therefore pursue and implement internet and digital rights policies that guarantee uninterrupted access and usage of internet alongside financial inclusion strategies. Civil society and private sector initiatives pushing back against regressive trends in digital rights on the continent should also work to highlight more the link between uninterrupted access to the internet and economic rights as fundamental to financial inclusion and socio-economic development across Africa.

Selassie Tay works with the Financial Inclusion Forum Africa. He was among the travel support beneficiaries for the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) 2019.

28Oct

Governments and Donors Urged to Advance ICT Access for Persons with Disabilities

admin October 28, 2019

By CIPESA Writer |

While advances in Information and Communications Technology (ICTs) including the Internet have created avenues of inclusion, for some, especially persons with disabilities, it has also widened the extent to which they are excluded from the social and economic potential of the digital society.

Persons with disabilities are more likely to experience adverse socio-economic outcomes than persons without disabilities, such as lack of access to information, less education, poorer health outcomes, lower levels of employment, and higher poverty rates.

Several factors are contributing to the deepening of this exclusion in the digital society, including a non-conducive legal and policy environment, poor investments in telecommunication infrastructure that supports ICT access for persons with disabilities, and the lack of access to the required assistive technologies such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, and braille.

According to the World Health Organisation, at least one billion people, or 15% of the world’s population, have some form of disability, while an estimated 2-4% have significant difficulties in functioning. In Africa, persons with disability are estimated at 10% of the general population, but could be as high as 20% in the poorer regions.

At the just concluded sixth Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in September 2019, participants explored the various challenges faced by persons with disabilities in accessing and using ICT, particularly assistive technologies.

Speaking at the special session on ICTs and Disability, Safari Shuti, a Member of Parliament from the Democratic Republic of Congo, stated that existing disability legal frameworks must be strictly enforced with penalties for non-compliance if they are to become effective.

“Within the legal framework, there should be accountability measures for lack of implementation, with clear provisions on who should oversee the implementation and penalties for lack of implementation,” he noted.

However, according to Sussane Dossi, a Member of Parliament in Malawi, some governments that already have disability rights laws do not have the technical or financial resources to implement many of the inclusion laws. She noted that the private sector players need to support government in implementation of these laws through providing technical support as well as the required funding.

Besides the non-conducive legal and policy framework, there is also the challenge of negative attitudes towards persons with disabilities, and lack of awareness of the different challenges that persons with disabilities face in accessing and utilisation of ICTs.

According to Mohamed Kimbugwe from the GIZ office in Uganda, “In the digital era, we need to focus on mind change and awareness creation. We need to improve accessibility to go beyond design. Persons with disability need information in friendly formats that they can easily navigate. We need to also look at affordability of accessible assistive devices.”.

Dr. Abdul Busuulwa from the Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Africa Network noted that providing access to relevant ICTs can go a long way in reducing or even eliminating the barriers that persons with disabilities face. “If you are having an impairment but have all the tech that you can use to navigate through the environment, it becomes debatable whether you have any disability,” he said.

During the same session, a digital campaign tool for persons with visual impairment, heartheblindspot.org was launched by Together!, in partnership with Small Media, and Data4Change. The website uses sonification of data to tell the story of digital exclusion for people who are blind or visually impaired in Ethiopia, and champions the need for a more inclusive and accessible internet. There are an estimated 4.5 million more than 850,000 people with visual impairment in Ethiopia.

Practical solutions.

According to Judy Okite from the Association for Accessibility and Equality in Kenya, disability rights activists and supporters need to start being intentional to include inclusion starting at a very early stages of all interventions. “We need to incorporate disability accessibility features to websites during the development stages as opposed to incorporating them later”.

It is equally crucial to invest in data and research to first understand the extent of disability on the continent. “Let us find out the figures. How many of those living with disability live in Africa, how many are women, how many are men, children, etc? said Okite. The lack of disaggregated data and research on the situation of persons with disabilities limits the effectiveness of programming to monitor and advance the rights of persons with disability.

The need for research was echoed by Dr. Busuulwa, who noted that ICTs and disability is still a virgin area for research and development. He urged the business community to proactively think of persons with disabilities as key consumers or a market: “Make it easier for persons with disability to become interested, and even much easier for the rest to flock your business.”

Awoke Dagnew, from Together!, noted that issues of persons of disabilities should be mainstreamed in all aspects, academia, research and funding. According to him, “Everyone should understand the situation of persons with disabilities and how they are suffering exclusion.”

Participants urged development partners to make it mandatory within funding structures for grantees to make commitments to include persons of disability in their programming and other interventions.

Besides enforcement of laws, national government were urged to work with private sector, especially the entrepreneurs, and telecom companies, through public private partnerships, to provide accessible and affordable services for persons with disability.

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