UNESCO Iraq Office with the generous support of the European Union, hosted a digital safety and risk management training workshop for female journalists and activists on social media, in collaboration with the Digital Development Center, within the framework of “MDP Multi-Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists” Project. This training was part of a series of events organized by the CI sector to create an effective safety mechanism for journalists against a variety of concerns, including digital risks and threats. Female journalists now have their own platform where they can report safely on any type of risk they experience, whether online or offline.
The training lasted for two days, online and offline, with the participation of 40 female journalists and social networks activists, who were trained on how to distinguish digital risks, detect threats, confront attacks technically, stop counterattacks, protect personal accounts, manage digital security and how to safely report the risks and threats via the platform that UNESCO established.
The training course included a realistic practice of potential digital risks, modern digital risks, and common digital risks, and the trainees formed a women's team to train female journalists and social media activities on the contents they learned, ensuring that the largest category of female journalists is covered with this important information and security rules.
On this occasion, UNESCO announced the launch of the Digital Reporting Platform (www.ifdrt.iq) for Female Journalists, which is considered as a fundamental and official reporting channel for female journalists and social media activists, girls and women. This is one of the operating steps on the reporting mechanism on the threats against female journalists in Iraq, especially digital threats and cyber blackmail, as part of the developed national mechanism of safety of journalists and issue of impunity. This training will facilitate the reporting process of female journalists and complaint safely to the SIU.
Within this activity, UNESCO has developed a special guide to digital safety that can be used by female and male journalists as well as activists on social networks. UNESCO experts worked on drafting this guide and providing the best safety rules and technical precautions to achieve digital security. This guide was printed with funding from the European Union.
IFDRT technically and practically linked with the Iraqi National Committee for the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, to counter the attackers, the blackmail and all type of threats. This platform will contribute to accessing reports on safety indicators for Iraqi female journalists and indicators of impunity to serve as documentary evidence of the reality of Iraqi female journalists and social media activists.