As part of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children(25 November 2017 – 10 December 2017), Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) and Lead SA will launch a series of Instagram stories created by Web Rangers to highlight the abuse and violence faced by young people online.

Web Rangers is a digital literacy programme comprised of children aged between 12 – 17 who champion issues of digital safety amongst their peers and through digital campaigns. These are centred on spreading awareness around protection from cyber-ills and positive use of the internet amongst others.

As we all know, the internet & various social media platforms present many opportunities such as accessibility of information for all and have the potential to act as a platform for voicing one’s opinion, learning and addressing inequality. The sad reality is that with great potential comes great risk and especially for children.

The dark side of the internet and social media is that it is less explicit, covert, harder to distinguish and can take place any minute. Every time a young person goes on Facebook or WhatsApp, they face the risk of being cyber-bullied, or being exposed to sexual and inappropriate content which inhibits them from taking full advantage of the internet to better their lives and those of others.

This year, the Web Rangers will raise their voices on Instagram and harness the potential of positive digital influence to spread awareness about what young people can do to protect themselves against cyber- bullying, grooming, sexting etc.

Phakamile Khumalo, Web Rangers Programme Coordinator in South Africa says, “This initiative works to educate youth about how to protect themselves from online violence, in a way that involves meaningful children’s participation and empowers them to act to stop the cycle of online abuse.”

Under the theme of #16PLUS, the Web Rangers have developed 16 stories – each to be released every day of the 16 Days of Activism.

The #16PLUS theme also encourages other young people to tell their stories and share their tips to help their peers stay safe even beyond the 16 Days campaign.

To find out more about this exciting initiative – follow WebRangersLead on Instagram and join the conversation using #16Plus. For more information visit www.leadsa.co.za & www.webrangers.co.za

For enquiries contact:

Phakamile Khumalo

Web Rangers Coordinator (MMA)

Or Ayabulela Poro

Head of Children’s Programme (MMA)

011 788 1278 or e-mail phakamilek@mma.org.za/ayabulelap@mma.org.za