Case study: Malala Fund’s Online Campaign

Context

In 2020, the Malala Fund launched a global digital advocacy campaign to promote girls’ education, particularly in regions where gender discrimination and political unrest create barriers to education. This campaign involved young digital advocates from around the world who were tasked with raising awareness and mobilising support through social media platforms.

The social media content series “What I Fight For,” launched on Malala Fund’s platforms, invited young women from around the world to share their motivations for advocating change.

Among the activists included Bihamaal, a body neutrality advocate from Pakistan, who used vibrant makeup and fashion to inspire self-confidence in others. And Cindy Mu, a student in the U.S., who created a video about how her grandmother’s challenges in accessing proper medical care, which inspired her and others to champion health care equity.

Issue

The digital advocacy campaign, while successful in reaching a broad audience, also attracted significant online hate speech, particularly targeting the young advocates with sexist and racist comments. This harassment posed serious challenges to their safety and well-being, threatening to undermine the campaign’s momentum.

Action taken

To protect the young advocates, the Malala Fund implemented several strategies. They ensured that all participants had strong privacy settings on their social media accounts and offered training on how to handle hate speech. The organisation also established a support network, including mental health professionals and legal advisors, to provide immediate assistance. Advocates were encouraged to report any instances of hate speech directly to platform administrators and, when necessary, to law enforcement.

In addition, the campaign used pseudonyms for the most at-risk participants to protect their identities. The outcome was that the young advocates were able to continue their work without significant disruption, and many of the abusive accounts were suspended or removed.

Lessons learnt

The campaign highlighted the importance of proactive measures in protecting digital advocates from online hate speech. One of the key challenges was maintaining the balance between visibility for advocacy and privacy for safety.

Success came from the comprehensive approach, combining technical measures (like privacy settings), emotional support (through counseling), and legal action. The experience highlights the need for digital literacy and self-care practices as integral components of any digital advocacy effort.

Conclusion

The Malala Fund’s experience also highlights the importance of protective strategies in digital advocacy, particularly for young people.

Through strong privacy measures, establishing support systems, and promoting self-care, digital advocates can more effectively navigate the challenges of online hate speech while continuing to champion their causes.