Hamisa Mobetto Turns Online Pain Into Digital Courage for Young Women

Mobetto understands how quickly an untrue claim can travel once it reaches a public platform, gathering hundreds of reactions before the person targeted has time to respond.

Tanzanian entrepreneur and public figure Hamisa Mobetto is joining UNESCO to help young people move through the digital world with greater confidence, sharper judgement and the courage to protect their voices. Her contribution comes from personal experience, shaped by moments when rumours, hostile comments and online attacks transformed social media from a place of opportunity into a source of emotional harm.

Mobetto understands how quickly an untrue claim can travel once it reaches a public platform, gathering hundreds of reactions before the person targeted has time to respond. Rather than allowing those experiences to silence her, she is using them to support young people who face misinformation, cyberbullying and technology-facilitated violence, with particular attention given to women and girls whose participation online is often met with harsher judgement.

Turning Personal Experience Into Practical Support

Social media has opened valuable doors for young Tanzanians who use digital platforms to learn, build friendships, launch businesses and share their creativity with wider audiences. Those opportunities exist alongside serious risks, including harassment, humiliation, manipulated information and rumours that can spread across communities within minutes.

The consequences can be especially damaging for girls and young women, since repeated attacks may weaken their confidence and make them reluctant to express an opinion, publish their work or participate in public conversations. Mobetto wants her platform to reach those who feel unable to defend themselves, encouraging them while helping to bring national attention to the realities of online and technology-facilitated violence.

Her manager, Noel Mangoma, said the current focus is on using her large public platform for work that carries deeper meaning. That direction places lived experience at the centre of digital education, allowing young people to hear practical guidance from someone who understands both the opportunities created by visibility and the emotional cost that can come with it.

Digital Knowledge Becomes a Form of Protection

UNESCO's Media and Information Literacy work encourages young people to remain connected while developing the skills needed to stay informed and safe. These skills include questioning suspicious claims, checking sources before sharing posts, recognising harmful online behaviour and knowing when a digital conversation has crossed into abuse.

The message "Pause. Think. Share." captures a simple practice that can prevent real harm. A brief pause may stop a false story from reaching another audience, while one thoughtful question can expose manipulation before it grows. Speaking in support of a person facing harassment can also change the tone of an online space, reminding others that every profile belongs to a human being with feelings, fears and a right to participate without abuse.

Mobetto brings this message directly to platforms where young people already communicate, create and discover information. Her public reach can carry media literacy beyond conference rooms and policy documents, placing it inside everyday digital conversations where safer habits are most urgently needed.

A Shared Promise to Make Online Spaces Safer

Mobetto's commitment formed part of a wider pledge made during a UN Youth Masterclass on Media and Information Literacy, artificial intelligence and responsible digital participation in Tanzania. UN Resident Coordinator Susan Namondo promised greater engagement with young people, while JamiiAfrica founder Maxence Melo pledged to keep the platform available free of charge as a place where youth can learn, develop knowledge and use their talents.

Mobetto promised to keep speaking for others while standing up for herself, working with UNESCO to strengthen national efforts against online violence, particularly abuse directed at women and girls. More than 50 people added their signatures to the pledge wall, turning individual commitments into a collective call for digital spaces built around safety, responsibility and respect.

For Mobetto, the campaign is closely connected to her own story. Every rumour she faced and every hostile comment she endured now gives purpose to a message meant for young people still finding their voices: digital participation should never require silence, fear or the loss of personal dignity.