Swiping Right or Wrong? The Risks of Digital Romance for Women’s Rights
Posted: 4 September, 2024 Filed under: Hlengiwe Dube | Tags: African context, challenges, compatible matches, cyberstalking, digital harassment, digital revolution, digital romance, digital technology, discrimination, identity theft, mental health, non-consensual sharing of personal information, online dating platforms, personal data, Privacy Concerns, romance, safety, smartphones, social boundaries, social media, social media networks, targeted harassment, unwanted attention, women’s rights Leave a comment
Author: Hlengiwe Dube
Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
Introduction
In the age of digital technology, where smartphones and social media have revolutionised communication across the globe, the landscape of romance has experienced profound shifts, especially within the African context. The rise of online dating platforms and social media networks has introduced unprecedented opportunities for connection, allowing individuals to meet potential partners beyond traditional geographical and social boundaries. However, this digital revolution also brings to light a series of challenges, particularly in terms of women’s rights and safety. In many societies, gender dynamics often intersect with technology use, and consequently, women face specific issues related to privacy breaches, non-consensual sharing of personal information, and digital harassment. The potential for exploitation in online spaces further exacerbate concerns about consent and equality. This article explores the negative repercussions of digital romance on women’s rights, critically examining how these new technological avenues can both empower and endanger women, thereby highlighting the urgent need for digital literacy, robust legal frameworks, and gender sensitive interventions to ensure a safer and more equitable online environment.
The right to happiness in Africa
Posted: 13 July, 2016 Filed under: Saul Leal | Tags: Africa, apartheid, Christopher Mbazira, colonialism, constitution, David Bilchitz, economic development, Egypt, employment, Frederick Fourie, freedom, Ghana, Justice Albie Sachs, Leopold Sadar Senghor, Liberia, liberty, Namibia, Nigeria, racism, right to happiness, right to life, safety, security, South Africa, Steve Biko, Stu Woolan, Swaziland 3 Comments
Author: Saul Leal
Vice-Chancellor Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa (ICLA)
Leopold Sedar Senghor said: emotion is African.[1] This emotion has been channeled to constitutions. Happiness is a core value in many African constitutions. It was explicitly mentioned in Liberia, Namibia, Ghana, Nigeria, Swaziland, and Egypt.
Article 1 of the Constitution of Liberia, 1986, proclaims that all free governments are instituted by the people’s authority, for their benefit, and they have the right to alter and reform it when their safety and ‘happiness’ require it.[2] The preamble of the Egyptian Constitution, 2014, cites ‘a place of common happiness for its people’. The Namibian Constitution, 1990, assures the right ‘to the pursuit of happiness’. In this regard, Frederick Fourie defends the preamble of the Namibian Constitution, explaining that it is coloured by the struggle against colonialism and racism; that it is built around the denial of the ‘right of the individual life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ by colonialism, racism and apartheid.[3]
AfricLaw 