Pakistan

How are APC members improving their communities' lives? In Pakistan, Media Matters for Democracy has been working on media building, fighting censorship and defending women journalists in an increasingly regressive context.

This article, written by Gayatri Khandhadai, APC's Asia policy regional director, is part of Arrow for Change, a publication showcasing various perspectives and voices on the right to freedom of expression.

Media Matters for Democracy stands in solidarity with women journalists who have released a statement highlighting the prevailing trend of continued digital violence from supporters of all political parties and different public and state institutions.

Media Matters for Democracy is deeply concerned about reports of journalists in Pakistan forced to cover the COVID-19 public health crisis without adequate protective measures and safety precautions.

COVID-19 is revealing the extent of the digital divide in Pakistan, and it has resulted in Pakistanis mobilizing on Twitter to demand affordable and accessible Internet services.

The report touches upon various issues including violent and regulatory actions against the media, online censorship, the right to information regime, disinformation, internet disconnections, data protection, and legislative developments related to cyberspace.

This report is a thematic exploration of tech-based, women-led startups, aiming to map the growing nature of women’s interventions in the tech-based business industry and the overall impact on other women in the workforce.

This research has been conducted to help different stakeholders understand how the corporate sector is currently responding to its data protection responsibilities in Pakistan.