On Safer Internet Day, YouTube announced an ongoing collaboration with the National Council for Women in Egypt to encourage more women content creators to share their stories on the platform and help promote a safe experience. The collaboration will include a series of workshops and meet-ups aiming to create a support community of content creators, YouTube experts, and representatives from the National Council for Women.
"We are pleased to partner with YouTube to promote a safer environment for Egyptian women on the platform, especially in light of what women suffer from exposure to various types of cyber violence via social media that have become an open space for people to engage in violence against [them]," Dr. Maya Morsy, President of the National Council for Women, said in a statement.
Morsy explained that the Egyptian state has been keen in recent years to ensure the protection of women against all forms of violence, and to raise awareness around their rights, especially when they are exposed to cyber violence. She said, "We are proud to encourage more women content creators and support them to develop their skills, to further understand women issues, and [to] promote meaningful and useful content."
As part of this collaboration, a series of workshops will be organized throughout the year to help more women content creators benefit from available resources to grow their channels, learn about the different tools and features to stay safe online, create content that is sensitive to women’s needs, and raise awareness on women empowerment and how to stay safe from cyber violence against women and girls. The workshops will also include #IamRemarkable sessions, Google’s initiative aiming at empowering women and celebrating their achievements.
The National Council for Women will also be the first entity in Egypt to enroll in YouTube’s Trusted Flagger program, which allows for direct reporting of content that violates policies and which will consequently be prioritized by the YouTube Team.
Tarek Amin, Director of YouTube Partnerships in the Middle East and North Africa, said, “We are pleased to collaborate this year with the National Council for Women in Egypt. Together, we aim to continue developing a safe experience for women creators in Egypt by equipping them with the skills needed and inviting them to join a wider support circle of other content creators and experts of the platform.”
"The YouTube Trusted Flagger program is part of an ongoing collaboration between YouTube and the National Council for Women, which will include a series of workshops that will be organized throughout the year to support more women creators in Egypt,” added Hisham El Nazer, Google’s Country Manager in Egypt.