ZCZC
BSS-38
DIGITAL-KHICHURI-CHALLENGE
Digital Khichuri Challenge winners to ensure women’s participation in
digital spaces
DHAKA, March 28, 2021 (BSS) – Supported by the ICT Division, the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) virtually organised the final round of
the seventh edition of the Digital Khichuri Challenge (DKC) 2021 today, where
five groups of youth presented their ideas in hackathon.
Titled “The Unsafety Net: How Online Abuse is Driving Women Out of Digital
Spaces,” the hackathon aimed to find ways to counter and protect women from
online harassment, a UNDP press release said.
Team ‘Cyber Saver’ was the winner, and ‘N te Nari, N te Nirapotta’ was the
runner up in the students/campaigns category. In the start-up category,
‘TransEnd’ was the winner and ‘Cyber Teens’ the runner up.
Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in ensuring a more gender-
equitable society, but cyberspace is still not women and girls friendly, as
with nearly 60 percent of female experiencing harassment online, speakers
said at the event.
“While Bangladesh has been successful in the countering of violent
extremism over the past years, radicalisation among the Bangladeshi youth
remains a concern,” pointed out Mia Seppo, the UN Resident Coordinator, in
her address as the guest of honour.
The UN RC continued, “There is evidence that social media plays a vital
role in the radicalisation of the youth. Online consumption of violent
extremist content soared in 2020, with the number of Violence Extremist
channels subscriptions in Bangladesh rising to 4.4 million from only 1.6
million.”
“Within these posts, attacking women’s rights are prominent… The
extremist groups are waging a political battle against policies intended to
empower women, including long-standing prohibitions in secular Bangladesh
against polygamy, child marriage, and slavery,” she added.
“It is great to see the youth of this country coming up with such
innovations to make the cyber world safe for women. It is a constant battle
to counter propaganda against women in the social media, a battle impossible
to win without the power of youth,” Mia further added.
Two start-ups, “Cyber Teens” and “TransEnd”, and three campaigns, “Cyber
Justice for Eve”, “Cyber Saver” and “N te Nari, N te Nirapotta”; made it to
the final round of the hackathon.
The solutions ranged from initiatives to prevent cyber bullying of women,
teenagers and transwomen, to providing support after harassment has taken
place, to creating an army of online activists to counter bullying, and to
ensuring the safety of women both in the virtual and real world.
The winners will participate in a six-month-long expanded mentorship
programme which will help shape their initiatives further.
BSS/PR/MRI/ARS/1929 hrs