An emphasis has been made on the need for collaboration among stakeholders in creating a secure cyber environment for children in Malawi.
The call was made during a Child Online Protection (COP) training of trainers by the Malawi Regulatory Authority in Blantyre.
Mathilda Kanjeri, Broadcasting Manager for MACRA said the trainings which have also been conducted in Mzuzu and Lilongwe, are aimed at equipping stakeholders to train others on how to protect children and the youth from any form of online exploitation.
According to Kanjeri, Malawi is registering a surge in cybercrimes including as money fraud, cyberbullying and misinformation.
“Our Children and young adults have been exposed to a wide range of explicit, hateful, sexual, and harmful content making them more vulnerable to exploitation. Therefore, we all have a common duty to ensure their protection from any form of exploitation,” said Kanjeri
MACRA is conducting the trainings in collaboration with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
Meanwhile Carla Licciardello Senior Coordinator ITU commended Malawi for progress being made in establishing legal frameworks for the protection of children in digital spaces.
She however said more needs to be done in raising awareness on online risks and safe cyber spaces.
On the other hand, Boniface Mandere, Director of Article Three, a child rights organisation said Malawi’s population is very youthful with 54 Percent of the people under the age of 18.
According to Mandere, this necessitates the need to establish clearly outlined policies for the provision of a secure and safe environment for children online.
Currently, MACRA has developed a Child Online Protection Strategy, a five year strategy with focus on raising awareness and increasing collaboration with stakeholders on child cyber protection and online risks.