The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has opened a draft study of digital violence against women to public comment. Its 3 November notice gives Nigerian researchers, digital rights groups and others following the issue two ways to contribute. They can take part in an online discussion or send written observations that refer to particular parts of the draft.
The commission sets out a broad definition of the problem. It includes harassment online, the sharing of intimate images without consent and the use of a false identity to impersonate someone. The study also considers synthetic material created using artificial intelligence. A response need not cover every form of harm to be useful.
One question for contributors is whether the study adequately represents the five regions of Africa. Another is whether its recommendations are specific enough for the institutions that would have to act on them. A Nigerian organisation could, for example, identify the paragraph it considers incomplete, explain the local practice it deals with and suggest a change to the text.
The online meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 11 November, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. South African time. In Nigeria that is 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The commission’s event notice links to registration. The Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria and Equality Now are collaborating with the commission on the session.
Written contributions have a later deadline, 4 December 2026. The listed languages are English, French and Portuguese. The call on the commission’s website gives the submission email address and the addresses to copy. It asks writers to point to the sections they are discussing where applicable.
What it means for you. Mark the meeting and submission dates separately. Someone preparing a recommendation for a technology company should check what the draft already asks companies to do and say what could make that proposal workable. The commission is seeking evidence and suggestions to improve a study. The invitation does not establish a new rule for Nigerian internet users.