15 promising girls from 7 university joined at the University of Asia Pacific, Dhaka on 21st October, 2017 to attend the session titled ‘Ensure a Safe Cyber World for Girls & Women: Capacity Building Workshop for Take Back The Tech’ organized by Bangladesh Open Source Network (BdOSN) and supported by Internet Society (ISOC) Dhaka Chapter, Bangladesh.
The purpose of the workshop was to enhance the initiative’s capacity through building campus ambassadors in some of the university located in the capital city of the country. Though it was a rainy day, the participants still joined in time and spontaneously participated at the session.
Throughout the session, the participants learnt about the basic internet things including the use of internet, the techniques & tools to be safe online, strategy to safe their campus girls from being cyber bullying and the roles and responsibilities to be campus an ambassador.
Lafifa Jamal, Chairperson at Department of Robotics & Mechatronics Engineering, University of Dhaka, Ms Shaila Rahman, General Manager, Deployment & Projects, Technology of Grameen Phone, Mohammad Kawsar Uddin, General Secretary, ISOC Bangladesh Chapter, Mr. Munir Hasan, General Secretary, BdOSN and Sharmin Kabir, Program Officer, BdOSN were the speakers at the session.
Some of the participants shared their stories and experiences of being bullied or victim of cyber crime. They found the session very effective and promised to work as ‘Campus Ambassador’ in the days ahead.
Shakila Mahjabin Tonni, Lecturer, Dept. of CSE, East West University, Dhaka attended the session. She shared, ‘I have been motivated after joining the session today. Our women need to know about the cyber issues and I believe, they are capable enough to keep them safe from any unpleasant situation happens on online.’ She also shared that she would introduce and arrange such session at her university to create an awareness among the girls studying there.
Sharmin Kabir, Program Officer of BdOSN quoted that this type of arrangement will be continuing in future outside Dhaka. She also shared that the next program will be held in Khulna and Rajshahi in November 2017.