Quaterly Newsletter from Body & Data
July to September 2023

Greetings and welcome to the latest edition for July to September 2023 of our newsletter, "Body & Data Bytes Bulletin!" Come along with us as we explore our analysis of Nepal's digital rights environment in the past quarter. Discover our engaging workshops with diverse movements and activists, and our most recent publications. This newsletter serves as your portal to remain well-informed, motivated, and empowered in the constantly evolving digital sphere. Let's get started! 🚀🔐

We are disseminating and pushing the conversation about National ID card and its privacy concerns and loopholes through various conferences and media outlets.

Our media monitoring for the last quarter reveals a precarious landscape where Nepal Government's endorsement of a cyber security policy advocating for issues like national gateway. This bill presents a looming threat of heightened censorship and surveillance. Concurrently, multiple data surveillance policies from various government bodies, encompassing call details, SMS information, and extensive data collection through government-regulated apps to support new parents in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and pregnancy-related matters, have the potential to compromise data privacy and expand surveillance capacities. These policies disproportionately affect women and marginalized communities, threatening their autonomy and privacy. Establishment of transparent, accountable, and oversight mechanisms, alongside public awareness and incorporating CSOs for policy making is crucial steps in ensuring digital rights of people.

Addressing the upcoming policy for election in Nepal, we continued our campaign for Voter's Privacy during elections. It is a pivotal endeavor that reinforced the importance of data protection in the democratic process. Another milestone in our advocacy work is with community radios of Gandaki Province, through "Our Experiences on the Internet". The radio show is now available online for all!

One of the highlights of the last quarter was our Kathakaa Kura: Digital Storytelling Workshop where we got to co-create a loving and safe space with 14 incredible storytellers. We learned about how technology and internet shapes our activism, life and the sense of who we are, and listened to stories of digital resistance.

In the "Digital Rights Consultation Event and Workshop", various stakeholders like activists from Dalit rights movement, disability rights, queer rights movement, women and children activists, journalists and lawyers gathered at Pokhara, Gandaki Province gathered to hold an interaction on digital rights and its situation in Gandaki Province. This is a starting activity for more in-depth work at Gandaki Province!

We also shared our ongoing research about National ID cards & Privacy concerns of marginalised persons at Twelfth Annual Kathmandu Conference on, "Nepal and the Himalaya" organized by Social Science Baha. We also joined a panel on ‘My body, who is in control?’ at the #FeministForum2023 among feminists and women representatives from local government across Bagmati Province

"वेबसाइटमा मतदाताका व्यक्तिगत विवरण सार्वजनिक गर्दा गोपनीयताको हक उल्लंघन भएको छ" - Check out Shubha Kayastha's article " किन सार्वजनिक गरियो मतदाताको विवरण ?"

"स्कूलहरुले विद्यार्थीहरुको निगरानी गर्नु आफैमा निन्दाको विषय त हो नै, यसले क्वेयर, ट्रान्स र लैंगिक पहिचान नखुलेका यूवाहरुलाई अरुको तुलनामा धेरै हानी पनि गर्छ। " Check out the nepali translated article of Pras' at "स्कूलहरुमा ‘अलोसिसहेट’ दृष्टि- एक डिजिटल दृष्टिकोण"

"Pride is important, but so are our privacy, expressions, experiences and bodies which are all part of the celebration, and this is not just a single story." Check out Neha Gauchan's article "There is no single story to Pride"

So, that's the scoop, and we're just getting started! We believe that blending campaigns, storytelling, advocacy, and some legal prowess is the secret sauce to creating a more inclusive and secure digital universe. Stay tuned for more adventures on the digital rights rollercoaster! 🚀🌐

Established in 2017, Body & Data works to enhance understanding and access to information on digital rights among women, queer people and minority groups where they are able to exercise their rights in a safe and just digital space. We work towards the vision of accessible, safe and just digital space for all, through cross movement building, facilitation for access to information, knowledge building and dissemination on digital rights in the context of Nepal