Advocating for a Better Internet – Today and Every Day!

Each February - on the second day, of the second week, of the second month of the year, is used to mark the Safer Internet Day all around the globe. Today the world marks Safer Internet Day with the theme ‘Want to talk about it? Making space for conversations about life online’. This Day is used as a reminder to spread awareness and promote the safe, responsible, and positive use of digital technology and the internet, especially for children and young people.

Organizations worldwide contribute to a Safer Internet daily, whether that is through campaigns, operational & technological safety systems, and such. IPKO Foundation, being one of those organizations, marks the Safer Internet Day by highlighting its programs and activities within the framework of the new strategy, to build an inclusive, just, and sustainable environment through technology in Kosovo.

Through continuous commitment towards the development of future generations of leaders who use technology to implement innovative solutions, IPKO Foundation promotes ongoing safety and digital security throughout the programs starting with the Hacking the System Program. Through this program, we promote the development of comprehensive and responsive policies and systems that enable the responsible application of technologies in public and private life.

As part of the Hacking the System program, the IPKO Foundation, during the previous year, brought a panel to provoke the discussion of the correlation between technology and gender equality at the first edition of the International Forum for Women, Peace, and Security. The panel was organized by the initiative of Kosovo’s President, Vjosa Osmani, to discuss the participation of women in the digital ecosystem, acknowledging the valuable contribution to building peace and reducing gender inequality.

The main contributor to technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) is the harassment young women and girls experience online from perpetrators of digital violence and the lack of proper measures to prevent online harassment. These harassments include online misogyny, photo abuse, and verbal insults that are addressed to young individuals, but mainly young women and girls.

To increase the understanding that TFGBV is real violence, IPKO Foundation has joined the initiative of the UNFPA Office in Kosovo to launch and implement the global campaign BODYRIGHT - Own Your Body Online. The purpose of the campaign is to protect your body rights by adding the symbol against abuse and humiliation of the body in the digital age. It is an act of violence that has no room for tolerance.

To join this year’s theme of Safer Internet Day, let’s talk about it. Let’s raise awareness of the impact unsafe online environments have on young women and girls. Let’s raise awareness and advocate for our body rights.

IPKO Foundation advocates for a safer world on the Internet through DOKU.TECH as well, by bringing together individuals and tech talent in Kosovo with top-tier international future makers, executives, and thinkers. Throughout the years, Internet Freedom and Security were among the most highlighted topics in DOKU.TECH, followed by Artificial Intelligence, Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Sustainability.

With DOKU.TECH, we create safe spaces not only for supporting technological innovations but as well as a safe space for young women and girls to speak up and protect their rights with the aid of technology.

To mark the Safer Internet Day, we encourage you to participate in the BODYRIGHT Campaign. The most affected groups of people from TFGBV are women, girls, racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized communities, so start working on your digital safety by protecting your own body and images. Take action. One step at a time.
Join the movement.

Place the symbol ⓑ on your body in your photos or digital content.

Report violence! Online violence is just as real and harmful!