How ISOC Lesotho Fought Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence in 2025
In a country where smartphones are now in almost every hand but digital safety knowledge remains dangerously low, as the Internet Society Lesotho Chapter (ISOC LS), we took decisive action in 2025 to tackle one of the fastest-growing threats to women and girls: Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV). From July to November 2025, with the generous support of the Internet Society Foundation, we set out to reach three of Lesotho’s most vulnerable districts: Mokhotlong, Leribe, and Qacha’s Nek, training teachers and District Child Protection Teams (DCPT) to recognize, prevent, and respond to online harassment, revenge porn, cyberstalking, and other forms of TFGBV.
What we achieved together:
Trained 83 teachers (69% of target) and 60 Child Protection Team members (66% of target) across four districts (we added Mafeteng when schools in Qacha’s Nek unexpectedly closed).
Delivered hard-hitting workshops covering Internet rights, digital literacy, personal data protection, Lesotho’s laws and policies, and practical steps to stay safe online.
Broadcast five powerful radio talk shows on Maseru stations (one short of the planned six because many community radio stations in the districts were off-air).
Co-created 33 original awareness messages in Sesotho and English which were crafted by the participants themselves and we are now awaiting final validation by the Ministry of Gender for nationwide printing and distribution.
Published a newspaper article that sparked public conversation on a topic too often kept silent.
The impact went far beyond the numbers. Teachers and police officers left the sessions so energized that they organized their own follow-up awareness sessions in schools and police posts. One police officer told us, “I didn’t know half the privacy settings on my own phone; now I’m teaching my colleagues.” Several participants, many of whom had never used the internet confidently before, joined ISOC Lesotho as new members, eager to keep the momentum going. We also saw the issue of TFGBV finally entering national policy discussions which is a clear sign that voices from the grassroots are being heard in the corridors of power.
Of course, challenges arose. High transport costs and limited time off work meant some teachers couldn’t attend; school closures disrupted our plans in Qacha’s Nek; and tight budgets forced tough financial choices. Yet every obstacle taught us something: rural areas need even more outreach, digital literacy must come before advanced safety training, and teachers themselves are asking for transport support and longer sessions.
As this project closes, one thing is crystal clear: the hunger for this knowledge in Lesotho is enormous. Teachers, social workers, police officers, and community leaders are ready to act – they just need more tools, more time, and more reach into the mountain villages where mobile phones arrive long before safety education does. To the ISOC Foundation, the Ministries of Education, Social Development, and Gender, teachers’ unions, and every participant who gave up weekends to learn and teach others – thank you. You have planted seeds that will grow into safer digital spaces for Basotho women and girls. The fight against TFGBV is far from over, but in 2025 Lesotho took a bold step forward – together.