Digital Rights Foundation’s Cyber Harassment Helpline is Pakistan’s first dedicated, toll-free Helpline for victims of online harassment and violence. The Helpline will provide a free, safe and confidential service. The Helpline aims to provide legal advice, digital security support, psychological counseling and a referral system to victims of online harassment. The Helpline will provide a judgment-free, private and gender-sensitive environment for all its callers. The helpline team periodically conducts awareness sessions in schools, colleges, and universities regarding cyber harassment through a gender lens and safe practices needed to remain secure online.

https://digitalrightsfoundation.pk/cyber-harassment-helpline/

• Pakistan

• Youth
• Women
• The poor
• Remote and rural communities
• LGBTQIA

This project was designed to provide relief to the victims of cyber harassment by acting as a bridge between law enforcement agencies, social media platforms, and complainants. Complainants get referred to law enforcement agencies if they want to take legal route otherwise helpline helps them in getting the questionable content removed from social media platforms by escalating their complainants through our established channels with these platforms. Through this project, digital security assistance, legal counsel and psychological help are provided to the complainant by the employed professionals. This project is replicable all over the world because, with a certain amount of money, expertise and liaison this service can be made available to all the citizens of that country.

This project has been ongoing since December 2016 and since then the number of complaints has only increased so this project is essential and for it to continue some funds are needed to pay the employees as free service is being provided to all the complainants.

The project aims to remove barriers set by the society for women to access ICTs, it also aims to gender sensitize law enforcement agencies to prevent victim-blaming and reduce the barriers faced by minorities and women in making use of their services, the project also provides relief and services to all the complainants especially women and youth to empower them and to eradicate gender inequality.