From Advocacy to Academia: Becoming a DHRP Scholar

• Amina Salaudeen

Amina Salaudeen was Women’s Rights and Safety officer at TechHER in Nigeria, and was selected in a competitive application process for a DHRP/Fondation Botnar bursary  to pursue her MA in Digital Media and Culture in 2025-26 at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies, University of Warwick.

It is no secret that technology has permeated every aspect of our lives. While different societies adapt at varying paces, one truth remains: the world will only grow more digital, reshaping our lives and societies in profound ways.

Development demands adaptability, and as we move forward, we must confront the challenges that evolving technologies introduce. Among these, digital violence against women and minority groups has emerged as an urgent and deeply concerning issue. Technology has not only amplified existing inequalities but has also created new, uncanny forms of harm. Tackling these challenges requires access to technology, alongside protections, policies, and strategies that help vulnerable groups use the internet safely and confidently.

I had the privilege of working at TechHer, a non-profit organisation in Nigeria. TechHer is a training, mentoring, and research organisation working to connect women and girls to the tools, knowledge, and networks they need to shape the digital world, not just survive in it. Simply put, TechHer’s mission is to ensure women and girls can access, understand, and utilise technology safely and meaningfully.  While the organisation promoted access to digital resources, it also recognised that true access is incomplete without addressing the harm women and girls face online.

To tackle this, TechHer developed a four-pronged strategy to mitigate technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) in Nigeria.

1. Research
   We began by deconstructing TFGBV within Nigeria’s socio-cultural and political contexts. Our research highlighted the most common forms of digital violence, the barriers to justice, and the gaps within policy and law enforcement. It also drew clear connections between digital rights, access to technology, and gender equality.
2. Prevention
   Our research revealed a significant awareness gap: many women and girls did not recognise digital violence or understand their digital rights. In response, we created the Be Safe Online Toolkit, a homegrown manual that explains how TFGBV manifests, provides practical safety strategies, and empowers users to navigate the digital landscape more confidently. Spearheading this project was especially special for me. I worked closely with colleagues, cybersecurity experts, and editors to co-create a resource that has since been used to train over 2,000 women and girls across Nigeria between 2022 and 2024.
3. Response
   Training and dialogue revealed another pressing need as survivors required support, accountability and justice. This led to the creation of Kuram, a platform whose name, from the Tiv language, means “Keep me safe.” Kuram connects survivors of TFGBV with pro bono legal practitioners and generates data-driven insights from reported cases. I oversaw the team that designed, launched, and later upgraded the platform to Kuram 2.0 in August 2025. This experience was both humbling and exhilarating, as it combined survivor support with systemic advocacy.
4. Advocacy – Advocacy is key to ensuring TFGBV is recognised and tackled at structural levels. At TechHer, we use research evidence and survivor-centred data to engage government stakeholders, policy actors, and technology platforms. We present concrete findings to push for stronger regulations and accountability measures that safeguard women and girls online.

Through our School Tour Project, TechHer reached students between the ages of 10 and 18 in peri-urban communities, teaching online safety, digital literacy, and digital citizenship. With girls making up the majority of participants, we also developed manuals for both students and parents, ensuring that entire families could participate in safer digital practices.

After four fulfilling years at the intersection of technology, gender, and policy, I am eager to return to academia and deepen my expertise. The Digital Health and Rights Project (DHRP) at the University of Warwick presents an ideal opportunity to build on my experiences, expand my knowledge, and situate my work within a global, interdisciplinary framework.

I look forward to an inspiring and transformative year at the University of Warwick, one marked by learning, collaboration, and the hope of creating safer, more inclusive digital spaces.