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As more women human rights defenders, journalists and activists take their work online, digital threats are increasingly becoming part of the risks they face. From hacked accounts and online harassment to impersonation, surveillance and exposure of personal information, staying safe online has become essential to continuing their work.
To strengthen their ability to respond, CITAD, with support from the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), trained 20 women human rights defenders and other civic actors in Kano on digital safety and online protection.
The two-day training, held on 22–23 September 2026 at the CITAD combined practical demonstrations, individual exercises, case studies and group discussions. Participants learned how to identify digital risks, secure their devices and accounts, protect their privacy, use safer communication tools and respond to online harassment and technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
Participants also practised reviewing privacy settings, strengthening passwords, using multi-factor authentication (MFA), identifying phishing and social engineering attempts, and preserving digital evidence such as screenshots, links and threatening messages.
A key focus was the gendered nature of online attacks. Participants examined threats including doxxing, sexualised harassment, impersonation, image-based abuse, coordinated reporting and reputational attacks, while discussing practical response and support mechanisms.
The Reportrix App was also introduced as an additional channel for reporting online harassment and digital rights violations.
The training emphasised that digital safety is not only about individual protection but also collective resilience. Through group exercises, participants explored real-life scenarios and identified the importance of peer networks, organisational support and evidence preservation when responding to digital attacks.
The training equipped participants with practical digital safety strategies they can apply in their personal and professional lives, while also positioning them to share their knowledge with colleagues and wider communities.
The Kano training is part of CITAD’s Strengthening Digital Safety and Collective Resilience for Women Human Rights Defenders project, which seeks to help women remain safer, more confident and resilient while continuing their advocacy and human rights work online.
