Scores of Gambians on Saturday marched to call for action against cyber bullying in The Gambia.
Recent incidents of persons getting bullied or harassed online has led to Gambians concerned by the incidents mobilising and seeking an end to cyber bullying.
On Saturday, scores took part in a march on Kairaba Avenue to ask stakeholders to perfect measures against the act.
“While we recognise that the internet is indeed an indispensable tool for the promotion of individual, community and national development in all their facets, we deplore the use of the internet and social media as weapons to harm the rights, dignity and security of individuals,” a petition read at the march event said.
The marchers put the speaker of the National Assembly top of their list of ‘stakeholders’ they are asking to take action. The minister of justice, minister of interior, minister of information and communication infrastructure, minister of basic and secondary education, minister of higher education, Inspector General of police and PURA DG have all been petitioned.
“We have noticed over the recent period that certain individuals for various ulterior reasons use the internet through social media and these platforms to launch attacks on other people behind fake profiles.
“These crimes are usually in the form of sharing harmful images of the victims as well as the use of degrading words and descriptions. These attacks have been noted to be clearly directed at girls and women.
“We are concerned that as much as citizens have a right to freedom of expression and we need to ensure that the democratic space remains open and free. However, it is not the right of anyone to defame the name, reputation, character and image of another person through any means or channels of communication, either online or offline,” the marchers said.
According to the marchers, promiment in their list of demands is for cyber bullying to be criminalised.
“We wish to therefore asked the mentioned stakeholders for the following measures to curb online bullying: criminalise cyber bullying and effectively enforce the provision,” the marchers said.
The concerned citizens also want law enforcement officers to be equippe with the knowledge and skills and their agencies be provided with the requisite tools to “detect, investigate and prosecute cyber bullying”.
