✨ Promoting Digital Rights in a Challenging Environment ✨
April–May 2025 Edition
Dear friends and partners,
As we close out May, we reflect on a season filled with determination, collaboration, and advocacy. From navigating political tensions to advancing the digital rights of marginalized women, Zaina Foundation has remained committed to creating inclusive, secure, and empowering digital spaces in Tanzania.
Promoting Digital Rights in a Challenging Environment
In Tanzania, the digital space is increasingly becoming a vital platform for communication, activism, economic participation, and access to information. However, as the country heads toward its 2025 presidential elections, this space is also facing heightened restrictions. Rising concerns around surveillance, online censorship, and the shrinking of civic space have made it harder for citizens—especially women, indigenous communities, and rural populations—to safely and freely express themselves online. In such an environment, the need to promote and protect digital rights becomes not only urgent but essential to safeguarding democracy, inclusion, and human dignity.
Zaina Foundation’s work is grounded in the belief that digital rights are human rights. Our efforts to promote digital inclusion, especially among marginalized groups like Maasai women in Arusha and seaweed farmers in Zanzibar, are a direct response to the overlapping challenges of political repression, gender inequality, and climate change. By equipping communities with digital literacy and security skills, supporting safe spaces for dialogue, and engaging in policy advocacy, we aim to ensure that even in difficult times, the digital realm remains a space for empowerment, voice, and resilience. In promoting digital rights in this challenging environment, we are building foundations for a more just, inclusive, and democratic future for all.
Tanzania Must Restore Access to X and Uphold Internet Freedom
From May 20, 2025, the Government of Tanzania blocked access to X, formerly known as Twitter, following cyberattacks on official accounts including those of the police and Airtel Tanzania. One of the most alarming incidents involved the police account being hacked to post inappropriate content and a false announcement about President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s death. While the government has downplayed the event, saying Tanzanian cyberspace remains……. READ MORE ZF April – May Newsletter Final