October 11, 2020
Manitoba Government Recognizes International Day of the Girl
– – –Status of Women Secretariat Providing Complimentary Devices To Help Keep Young Women Safe Online: Cox
The Manitoba government is recognizing the International Day of the Girl and investing in the cyber security of young women, Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Cathy Cox, minister responsible for the status of women, announced today.
“Now more than ever, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for online connectivity, and young women are most at risk of cyber violence,” said Cox. “Vulnerable youth often rely on public places to access the internet and charge their smartphones, and we want to help secure their personal information and keep them safe from exploitation.”
In 2012, the United Nations declared Oct. 11 as the International Day of the Girl to recognize young women around the world as important citizens and powerful voices of change. The day highlights the rights of girls and advocates for greater action and investment to enable them to reach their full potential.
This year, the Manitoba Status of Women Secretariat is creating awareness around cyber violence, which disproportionally affects young women. It is providing USB data blockers free of charge to middle school and high school-aged girls across the province to highlight the importance of personal information security and add another layer of protection when accessing online resources. When charging a mobile device in a public space, the adaptors plug into the charging cord and protect the user’s data from hackers who use malware to steal photos, usernames and passwords.
Through October, the province will distribute the devices to select youth serving agencies including women’s resource centres, friendship centres and shelters.
“We hope these data blockers will give girls more confidence when they’re accessing online learning resources, so they can focus on their studies and realize their goals,” said Cox.
The minister noted data breaches could leave victims vulnerable to further exploitation. She noted that incidents of child exploitation have risen in Manitoba during the COVID-19 pandemic, and RCMP saw a 20 per cent increase in investigations opened between March and mid-July, compared to the same time period last year.
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