Elevating Tanzanian Voices at IGF 2025: My Journey as a Digital Rights Advocate
By Zaituni Njovu, Executive Director, Zaina Foundation
In June 2025, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2025 in Lillestrøm, Norway a vital global gathering that brings together diverse voices to shape the future of internet governance. My participation was generously supported by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) through its Member Travel Support Fund. I was proud to represent the Zaina Foundation, a Tanzanian organization committed to advancing digital rights, inclusion, and gender justice, particularly for women and marginalized communities.
The IGF provided a powerful platform to exchange ideas, amplify local experiences, and engage with global leaders in policy, technology, and civil society. As a digital rights advocate from East Africa, I came to the IGF with clear intentions: to raise the visibility of gendered digital harms in Tanzania, to share our strategies for localizing technology, and to build alliances for a more inclusive internet.
Championing Women’s Digital Rights
One of the most impactful sessions I joined addressed gender disinformation and its growing impact on electoral integrity. Drawing from our work at Zaina Foundation, I shared examples of how false, targeted narratives are used to discredit women leaders in Tanzania, particularly as we head into the 2025 General Elections. These attacks ranging from fake scandals to deepfake images undermine women’s participation in public life and weaken democratic processes.
The session became a rich space of learning and solidarity as activists from Latin America, South Asia, and West Africa echoed similar experiences. We discussed policy gaps, tech platform accountability, and grassroots strategies that could be adapted across regions. Read more here IGF Oslo Blog Post