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She Escaped An Abusive Marriage—Now She Helps Women Battle Cyber Harassment
- Nighat Dad grew up in a conservative family in Jhang, in Pakistan’s Punjab province.She established the Digital Rights Foundation, an NGO that aims to address the digital divide and fight online abuse of women and other gender minorities in Pakistan.In 2016 the DRF launched a cyber-harassment helpline.Since 2016, it has addressed more than 16,000 complaints from across the country.The DRF’s in-house legal team offers pro-bono advice and helps women file and follow up complaints against their abusers.Today, Dad and the DRF are helping to steer global conversations about tech policy reform.Dad recently joined the United Nations’ AI Advisory Board, and was a founder member of Meta’s Oversight Board.
- Her family moved to Karachi so she could complete her bachelor’s degree, however, soon after she completed the course, she found out her parents had arranged a marriage for her.With her family’s backing, Dad left her husband and filed for divorce. But after years of domestic violence and abuse and with no experience of working, she struggled with a lack of confidence.
- Before her marriage, Dad’s family never allowed her access to her cell phone, and when she finally got one, her husband would use it as a surveillance tool, keeping track of who she called and who was texting her.
- Dad and her team launched a cyber-harassment helpline. Since 2016, it has addressed more than 16,000 complaints from across the country. “Sometimes, the police would give our phone numbers to victims seeking reliable help,” she says.Dad’s legal team helps women file and follow up complaints against their abusers.
- The DRF’s legal team helped journalist Asma Shirazi win a landmark case in the Islamabad High Court against broadcaster ARY News, after she became the target of a coordinated troll campaign which was exacerbated by a false story aired on the channel.
- Today, Dad and the DRF are helping to steer global conversations about tech policy reform. She recently joined the United Nations’ AI Advisory Board, and was a founder member of Meta’s Oversight Board.
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