Include digital literacy in school curriculum - Stakeholders

This, according to them will enlighten the youth on the need for online safety and security.

They have also called for refresher training programmes for ICT teachers on digital literacy knowledge assessment, so they could impart such knowledge to the school children.

“Educators should no longer see young people as just consumers of media but producers as well in order to build their skills to match”, Executive Director of J Initiative, Ms Awo Aidam Amenya, said during a forum organized by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).

Participants at the forum also emphasized on the need to partner government to develop user services that will protect women and children to ensure their safety on the internet.

The forum held on the theme: “Internet Rights for Women and Children in Ghana”, was part of activities being undertaken under the MFWA’s internet freedom project.

During her submission, Ms Amenyah, said at the moment, Ghana did not have a clear provision focusing on the protection of children online, no legislation that criminalized online grooming, cyber bullying.

There was also no legislation criminalizing access or visualization of child pornography, which were among critical challenges confronting children who use the internet.

She said although there were laws in Ghana that protected children, the issues of child online protection was not in the existing category.

She indicated that it was the duty of government to roll out a plan, which should take into consideration online risks faced by children and address them with a blend of approaches that included legislative, self- and co-regulatory, technical, awareness and educational measures, as well as positive content provision and best practices like child safety zones.

She advised children and young people to learn the netiquette, and terms of conditions to understand before they signed up on to a site, adding, “Children should be mindful of their digital footprint”.

Ms Dora Mawutor explained that the convening of the forum was to share with participants, a recent analysis and production of a report by MFWA on Child Online Protection and Gender Dimensions on Internet Rights in Ghana.

She said the public was largely unaware of the threats and risks the internet possess to children, and young people and women, and there was the need for stakeholders to come together and work collaboratively to improve the safety of children and women within cyberspace.

The reports highlighted issues that were currently impacting access and use of the internet by both women and children with recommendations to relevant stakeholders.

The policy brief offers a contextual analysis of the current Child Online Protection (COP) environment in Ghana and gives important recommendations on how to ensure that children can utilise the opportunities the Internet offers without the potential adverse effects.

Assistant Programme Officer at the Department of Gender, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ms Julian Abbeyquaye, said government was already in partnerships with various stakeholders to create a safer and secured internet environment for children and women.

Mr Derrick Laryea, Head of Research and Communications at Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, said majority of issues on online safety could be handled and addressed at home by parents and guardians who should be vigilant and regulate the usage of internet by children.

Source: GNA