The Association of Women in Public Media brought together parliamentarians, diplomats, international organizations, legal experts, and media professionals on Tuesday, March 10th, for a panel discussion on women's access to justice and the challenges related to protecting their rights.

This was an opportunity for Aminata Sarr, Director General of TDS-SA, who presided over the ceremony on behalf of the Minister of Communication, to give an overview of the evolution of forms of violence against women, particularly with the rise of digital technology.

In her speech, Aminata Sarr emphasized that the issue of women's rights transcends the legal framework, directly impacting human dignity and the development of societies. "There can be no human development when women do not live in dignity, peace, and security," she stated.

She emphasized that while numerous laws exist to protect women, their application is sometimes limited in everyday life. According to her, technological transformations have profoundly altered the forms of violence.

"Today, violence is no longer limited to physical space. It also manifests itself in digital space through cyberbullying, the distribution of images without consent, identity theft, and online insults and attacks," she explained.

She insisted that this violence particularly affects women and can have serious consequences for their reputation, their professional life and their personal balance.

Faced with these new threats, the Director General of TDS-SA stressed the importance of strengthening awareness and education about rights. "Knowing your rights is the first step to being able to protect and defend yourself," she stated.

She also called on the media to fully play their role in prevention and awareness-raising. "The media have a major responsibility: to inform, raise awareness and educate, while rigorously addressing issues related to violence and citizens' rights," she stressed.

Beyond information, Aminata Sarr believes that a broader mobilization is needed, involving families, institutions and civil society in order to promote a culture of respect and responsibility.

The AFMP advocates for a better understanding of rights

On the same topic, the president of AFMP, Matel Bocoum, reiterated that the association, launched on February 12, aims to be an inclusive platform bringing together all women in public media: journalists, engineers, technicians, and administrators. She explained that the choice of the theme "Law, Justice, Action" responds to a worrying reality: the increasing exposure of women to violence, particularly in the digital space.

"No woman, whether she is a journalist, content creator or simply a citizen, is totally safe from cyberviolence," she stressed, calling for breaking the silence and raising awareness of existing legal mechanisms.

The meeting also saw the participation of several institutional leaders, including the Vice-President of the National Assembly, Mbène Faye, who recalled that access to justice is an essential pillar of equality between women and men.

The UN Women representative in Senegal, for her part, stressed the need to transform international commitments into concrete actions in order to guarantee women access to justice and the promotion of women's rights is based first and foremost on a collective responsibility.

The representative of the ambassadors concluded by stating: "When we talk about rights, justice and action, we are talking about a joint commitment from institutions, the media and civil society."

A mobilization which, according to the organizers, remains essential to building a more equitable society where every woman can fully exercise her rights.