forensics technology to spy on journalists, including those who are detained. which the media covers issues and introduces subjects. Several journalists, who have been arrested in the past, have had their phones hacked by security agencies. Men’s voices are more pronounced both as subjects and as sources and their opinions are highly regarded. In one bizarre incident, police had a warrant to collect political journalist Tsaone Basimanebotlhe’s cell phone, over an article she did not even author. Women tend to voice their opinion more strongly on radio especially on call in programmes. Yet it is still men who are dominant despite the fact that radio stations are targeting female listenership. She was then forced to provide her password and her phone was reported to have been analysed by Cellbrite system. In 2022, Moeladilotlhoko News Boiler director Tshepo Sethibe was arrested by police who took his laptops and cellphones including passwords to access his devices.(9) In 2018 Botswana passed the Data Protection Act and the Cyber Crimes and Cybersecurity Act. Both were passed using international standards, which guarantee rights and freedoms. However, the Criminal Procedure and Evidence (Controlled Investigations) Bill allows interception of communications with judicial oversight. GENDER AND THE MEDIA Despite Botswana once being lauded for having the only woman owned media outlet in the region, the sector largely remains a male dominated industry. Culture plays an integral role in the way in The Voice and The Monitor are the only two mainstream newspapers that have women at the helm. A noteworthy development is the establishment of the online news platform, The Argus Online which is run by three women journalists. Although Botswana had no reported cases of sexual harassment of female journalists in 2022, the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) says failure to report and manage sexual harassment continues to harm African media. An eight country (including Botswana) study carried out by the organisation revealed that nearly one in two women have been sexually harassed at work along with one in five men and about two in five of gender non-confirming individuals.(10) The research exposed lack of trust in organisations, complete failure of management and lack of systems that effectively deal with sexual harassment, which means that abused female journalists in Botswana could be suffering in silence. References BOTSWANA: FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION FACES HEADWINDS (1) Botswana’s Intelligence Agency Hangs Over Presidential Rivalry, https://www.cfr.org/blog/botswanas-intelligence-agency-hangs-over-presidential-rivalry (2) How will the conflict between Masisi and Khama end? https://inkjournalism.org/2573/how-will-the-conflict-between-masisi-and-khama-end-%EF%BF%BC/ (3) Botswana https://freedomhouse.org/country/botswana/freedom-world/2022 (4) Botswana: Media environment faces key risks and challenges https://ipi.media/botswana-media-environment-faces-key-risks-and-challenges/ (5) Botswana Media Practitioner Act is a threat to freedom of the media, https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-09-28-botswana-media-practitioner-act-is-athreat-to-freedom-of-the-media/ (6) Botswana Media Practitioner Act is a threat to freedom of the media https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-09-28-botswana-media-practitioner-act-is-athreat-to-freedom-of-the-media/ (7) Botswana: Media environment faces key risks and challenges, https://ipi.media/botswana-media-environment-faces-key-risks-and-challenges/ (8) DIGITAL 2023: BOTSWANA https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-botswana (9) Botswana police use Israeli Cellebrite tech to search another journalist’s phone https://cpj.org/2021/07/botswana-cellebrite-search-journalists-phone/ (10) How failure to report and manage sexual harassment is harming African news media https://www.weekendpost.co.bw/31675/news/how-failure-to-report-and-manage-sexual-harassment-is-harming-african-news-media/ 37