BNNRC Boosts Journalists’ Skills to Battle Gender-Based Violence through Digital Empowerment

A day-long workshop titled “Preventing, Mitigating, and Responding to Gender-Based Violence through Digital Development and Technological Support” was organized by Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) in Mymensingh.

The event took place on Wednesday, November 12, at the Shapla Resource Development Centre in Digharkanda. Thirty journalists representing national dailies, television channels, local newspapers, and online news portals participated in the workshop. BNNRC’s Chief Executive Officer A.H.M. Bazlur Rahman led an in-depth discussion on leveraging digital facilities and technology to prevent gender-based violence (GBV).

Mymensingh District Information Officer Mir Akram Uddin Ahmad attended as the chief guest. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of journalists being aware of emerging technology-driven forms of violence and educating the public about them. He said, “Journalists can play an effective role in curbing misinformation and disinformation while ensuring the free flow of accurate information.”

Din Mohammad Dinu, Public Relations Officer of Bangladesh Agricultural University, attended as the special guest, while BNNRC District Focal Person and Executive Director of Nista Unnayan Sangha, Swadhin Chowdhury, delivered the welcome address.

Speakers at the event elaborated on various forms of cyber and technology-based crimes, including spreading hateful content on social media, sharing someone’s photos or statements without consent, sending unsolicited messages or images, and hacking computers or mobile phones. They also discussed strategies for journalists to safeguard themselves from technology-enabled violence and to address such issues responsibly within their profession.

DBTech/BR/EQ/OR