CEPO Director Edmund Yakani | Photo: Awan Moses/Eye Radio.

The rise in online bullying, discrimination, intimidation, and gender stereotyping against women and girls in South Sudan has sparked urgent calls from activists and media experts for stronger legal protection in digital spaces.

Speaking to Eye Radio this week, Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, said online abuse targeting women has continued in silence for too long.

Yakani urged the National Media Authority to issue a circular warning against such behavior. He said social media should be a platform that brings people together, not one that violates rights.

Marina Modi, Chairperson of the Media Mentors’ Network, warned of the dangers of misinformation and disinformation in South Sudan’s fragile media environment.

She partly blamed the situation on delays in official communication, saying this leaves room for false information to spread.

Marina also stressed the need for crisis communication strategies to fill the information gap, warning that people could lose trust in public institutions without timely and accurate updates.

She further called for tougher laws to hold those responsible for online abuse accountable.

In response, Advocate Wani Stephen said the government has already taken steps to address the issue. He cited the Cybercrime and Computer Misuse Act (2021) and new media regulations currently under review.

According to him, authorities are working with the Media Authority, National Communication Authority, and international platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp to reduce harmful content.

To boost the fight against hate speech and disinformation, Stephen said the government plans to conduct public awareness campaigns, journalist training, and community dialogues.

However, he cautioned that finding the right balance between regulation and free speech remains a major challenge, warning that overly strict laws could silence critical voices if not applied carefully.

NB:”This story is reported with a grant from Journalists for Human Rights under the ‘Tackling Mis/Disinformation Project,’ funded by the Peace and Stabilization Program of the Government of Canada.”