Lira, Uganda – October 31, 2025 – Senior government and United Nations officials joined media practitioners and civil society in Lira City yesterday to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, issuing a stark warning about the rising threat of artificial intelligence (AI) in perpetrating gender-based violence against women journalists.
The high-level commemoration, held under the theme “Chat GBV: Raising Awareness on AI-facilitated Gender-Based Violence Against Women Journalists,” highlighted the dual challenges of traditional physical attacks and a dangerous new frontier of digital abuse.
In a keynote address delivered on behalf of the UNESCO Secretary-General, Dr. Rosie Agoi, Assistant Secretary-General Social and Human Sciences Programme Pauline Polly Achola emphasized the global scale of the problem.
“According to UNESCO and the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), more than 70 percent of women journalists have experienced online violence, and one in four have faced offline attacks as a direct consequence,” Achola stated. “These are not just personal assaults; they are assaults on press freedom, on truth, and on the right of every citizen to be informed.”
She called for a multi-stakeholder approach to combat impunity, urging governments to prosecute attacks, media houses to protect their staff, and citizens to stand with journalists. “Ending impunity is not the responsibility of one actor, it is a collective duty,” she asserted.
Keynote speaker Cde Newton Noble Odongo acknowledged Uganda's progress in media freedom but pointed to persistent threats, particularly in the Lango sub-region and Northern Uganda, where journalists face intimidation, equipment confiscation, and harassment for reporting on sensitive issues like governance and corruption.
He directly addressed the event's theme, noting that AI tools like deepfakes and automated bots are being weaponized to discredit and silence women journalists. “This digital violence often goes unpunished, largely because our legal and institutional frameworks are still adapting to this emerging reality,” Odongo said.
This sentiment was echoed by advocate Winnie Anyango, who noted that Uganda has a robust legal framework for journalist protection, but implementation is the critical failure. “The challenge is implementing it,” Anyango said, questioning, “Is it bad to harass journalist most especially female journalist?” She volunteered to provide pro bono legal support to affected journalists in the Lango region.
Doreen Opio, Chairperson of the Lango Women Media Association, which organized the meeting with support from ACME and UNESCO, delivered an emotional plea for justice.
“It’s time to call for justice,” Opio declared. “No journalist should ever have to pay the price for doing their job. You don’t have to pay it with your life, you don’t have to pay with your gadgets, you don’t have to pay it anyhow because of what you are doing.”
She concluded with a powerful reminder of journalism's vital role: “We all know that when a journalist is silenced, the public is left in darkness.”
The commemoration of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists was held on October 31, 2025, at Goodnews Hotel in Lira City. It was organized by Lango Women Media Association and the Great Lakes Centre for Strategic Media Studies with support from the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) and UNESCO.
The event culminated in a unified call to action, urging for greater accountability for crimes against journalists, strengthened protection mechanisms, responsible regulation of AI, and collective solidarity to ensure that every journalist can work without fear.
