Monitoring of DCS and GD violations began on October 1, 2024. The team reviewed major newspapers, online portals, and social media to track press freedom violations, journalist harassment, and gendered disinformation. Through expert training on media monitoring, Ittefaq documented 60 cases over six months—closely matching VOICE’s 65 cases. Violations were systematically recorded with sources and web links. Click here for media monitoring methodology.
The project has developed an ‘online information tool’, i.e., a web portal along with a comprehensive dashboard to showcase information on the identified cases and assist victims with legal information. The portal will be launched in March 2025 in presence of associated stakeholders.
Knowledge exchange meetings between VOICE and The Daily Ittefaq are crucial for strengthening the collaboration between civil society and media while advancing advocacy efforts. Both partners bring extensive expertise in DCS issues and gendered disinformation, offering a platform to share insights, learn from each other, and strategize for future actions. Click here for event details.
Under the project’s digital campaign, knowledge sharing podcasts’, i.e., tech-tool are being produced and disseminated participated by experts, journalists, activists, etc. Audio-visual contents with project messages have been engaging the audience in social media handles. A documentary is under production followed by published op-eds/ features, articles in leading media. Finally, insightful interviews of victims are been captured and disseminated in social media. Click here for details.
The RRT has been established and actively engaged to deliver timely responses, i.e., statements, media releases, reviews, and recommendations, whenever cases of DCS violations or gendered disinformation are identified. Its first meeting took place on 21 December 2024, followed by a second on 23 February 2025. Click here for the statements.
A national strategy to defend DCS and combat gendered disinformation is currently being developed through a series of consultation and validation workshops. The resulting policy recommendations will be presented to relevant authorities during a multi-stakeholder conference.
A networking meeting has been held on 27 March 2025 among RRT members and like-minded CSOs, women groups, activists, journalists etc. to strengthen the advocacy efforts. Click here for event details.
The Rapid Response Taskforce aims to safeguard Digital and Civic Space (DCS) and counter Gender Disinformation (GD). The initiative monitors violations, provides swift responses through a taskforce, offers legal support via an online tool, and conducts digital campaigns to foster public awareness and advocacy. Aligned with Outcome 3—advocating for a safe DCS—the RRT operates under SMART goals, including policy recommendations, networking with CSOs, and influencing policymakers. Its first meeting in December 2024 highlighted alarming press freedom violations in Bangladesh, documenting 34 cases, now rising to 52 as of February 15, 2025. Journalists face killings, torture, arbitrary detentions, and financial probes, while gendered disinformation increasingly targets women rights defenders and public figures. These developments stress the urgent need for coordinated advocacy to protect press freedom and digital rights.
