Panelists want stricter implementation of cybercrime law at Social Media Week

Parents cautioned against over-exposure of children to technology

Experts have stressed the need for a stricter implementation of the Cybercrime Act in the country. The Act became law in 2015. At the fourth day of the Social Media Week in Lagos, yesterday, panelists were unanimous that there was the need for faster and stricter implementation of the Act, while also calling for its update to assist in the prosecution of violence against women and girls in Nigeria.

Speaking on the topic: ‘Using Technology & Social Media To Counter Violence Against Women And Girls,’ Coordinator, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT), Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, said the issue of pornography should also be addressed in the Act.

Vivour-Adeniyi said that there should always be legislations consistent with time, because violence against women and girls happened in different ways to curb the occurrence.

The Executive Director of Stand To End Rape (STER) initiative, Oluwaseun Osowobi, said that social media has contributed significantly to rape, violence against women and girls.

To counsellor at Mirabel Center, LASUTH, Mrs. Joy Onoriose, 70 per cent of perpetrators of violence on females and minors, especially, were familiar to their victims. She said mothers need to educate their children on what rape is, build their confidence to report any of such cases.

At a panel session, with the theme: ‘’Parenting in an era of Technology,” a session hosted by Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC), speakers urged parents to apply wisdom as they train their children in an era of technology.

The Founder of LagosMums, Mrs. Yetty Williams, said that today’s children were born in the computer age, hence, were more and better positioned to using technology.

Human Resource Consultant, Prof. Yomi Fawehinmi, said that parents should be aware of technologies and allow the children to use them. From her perspective, an educational technologist, Dr. Oluwakemi Olurinola, said that parents should help introduce the children to sites on the web that would assist them to develop.

Executive Director and daughter of Africa’s richest man, Halima Dangote, spoke on “Women in Technology Session” sponsored by Dangote Group. She identified a gender gap, saying more women need to be empowered and encouraged to take up roles in the tech sector.

However, despite the increased focus on gender gap in the work place and the society, significant gains have been recorded by organisations invested in integrating and empowering women entrepreneurs.

Dangote said Worthy of note is the “Dangote Foundation multi-billion naira micro grant initiative,” which targets rural women across the federation. The women empowerment initiative provided financial resource to women beneficiaries and also cell-phones to help connect and share information in a progressive way.