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Future ShapersSeyiAkiwowo, 28, is the founder and executive
director of Glitch, a not-for-profit organisation
designed to end online abuse. In 2014, she was
elected as the youngest black female councillor in
east London, aged 23, serving four years before
launching Glitch in 2017. Last year, she presented to
the 38th United Nations Human Rights Council on
online gender-based violence and was named
Amnesty International’s Human Rights Defender.If something important doesn’t exist, make it.After
I experienced online abuse, I faced a number of challenges
when accessing justice and support – there was very little
guidance, no road-mapping available and no trauma
response services to help victims. So, I started the first
organisation in the UK fighting online abuse, supporting
women and young girls from online harm, and helping
them stand up for their rights. This began as an online
campaign, which led to several media opportunities on
ITV London, BBC News and Channel 5 News, beforesocial-media companies took action. Glitch
was established so that no woman has to go
through such lengths to be safe online.
Onlineabuse affects all of us.Over half of adults
reported having a harmful experience last year, and it
disproportionately affects women and girls. Globally,
womenare 27 times more likely to be harassed online
than men, and this is a whole lot worse for women
of colour. Through Glitch, we send a strong statement
that gendered online abuse and violence can no longer
go unaddressed. We all – businesses, brands, employers,
political parties, parents, educators and governments- must play our part as digital citizens to ensure innovation
and technology does not exacerbate existing
inequalities, and protect our online spaces.
Invest in yourself.As we grow the Glitch team, I’m investing
time in becoming the leader I’ll be proud of in ten years. This
involves therapy, coaching, podcasts and reading a lot of
books, as well as scheduling my day around when I’m most
productive. Figure out how you operate best, and go with it.
The digital campaigner