October 14, 2026

Building a Safer Digital Nepal: Protecting Content Creators and Fighting Online Harms

14th October 2026, Kathmandu

UNESCO and UNFPA convened digital content creators, youth leaders, journalists, and legal experts in Kathmandu to address online safety, technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), and legal protections in Nepal. Discover key findings from the Content Creator Survey, insights on Cyber Bureau responses, and proposed policy reforms for a safer, more inclusive digital ecosystem.

Digital Voices, Rights, and Safety: Building a Safer and More Inclusive Digital Ecosystem in Nepal

As Nepal’s digital landscape continues to expand rapidly, ensuring that online spaces remain safe, inclusive, and rights-based has become an urgent national priority. To address these growing opportunities and challenges, UNESCO and UNFPA organized a landmark event titled “Digital Voices, Rights and Safety: Building a Safer and More Inclusive Digital Ecosystem in Nepal” on October 13 in Kathmandu.

The initiative brought together a diverse group of key stakeholders including digital content creators, youth representatives, journalists, media professionals, fact-checkers, academics, and legal educators. Together, they engaged in evidence-based dialogue focused on shaping a digital ecosystem that responds directly to the priorities, safety, and experiences of Nepalese youth and digital pioneers.

Key Presentations: Evidence and Policy Gaps in Nepal’s Digital Space

The event highlighted several groundbreaking reports and research papers detailing the realities faced by users and creators in Nepal:

UNESCO Content Creator Survey Report: Offered deep insights into the lived experiences, daily challenges, and safety concerns of digital creators operating across Nepal.

UNFPA Legal & Policy Review on TFGBV: Analyzed Nepal’s existing framework regarding Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), identifying current avenues for victim recourse and key protection gaps.

Legal and Institutional Responses: Ms. Rukamanee Maharjan, Assistant Professor at the Nepal Law Campus, delivered a comprehensive presentation on strengthening institutional mechanisms to mitigate and respond to online harms effectively.

Multi-Stakeholder Panel Discussions

To bridge the gap between research and real-world impact, two thematic panel discussions addressed critical regulatory, police, and creative challenges.

1. Policy and Practice Conversation

Moderated by Adv. Abhiksha Humagain, this session focused on implementation gaps within existing regulatory frameworks and the formal legal standing of digital content in Nepal. Key insights were shared by panel members:

Ms. Rukamanee Maharjan (Assistant Professor, Nepal Law Campus)

Ms. Nirmala Thapa (Under Secretary, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology)

2. The Creator Landscape in Action

Moderated by Adv. Arnab Chaudhary, this dialogue examined how survey findings translate into practical accountability mechanisms and support structures for creator well-being. Featured panellists included:

Ms. Namrata Sharma (Press Council Nepal)

Mr. Deepak Raj Awasthi (Nepal Police Cyber Bureau)

Ms. Mamata Shrestha (Office of the Attorney General)

Charting the Path Ahead for a Digital Nepal

By bringing together decision-makers, legal experts, enforcement agencies, and young content creators, the UNESCO and UNFPA joint initiative set actionable priorities for policy reform and digital rights advocacy.

Protecting digital voices and curbing online gender-based violence remain crucial steps toward ensuring an open, safe, and democratic digital future for all Nepalese citizens.

For more: Protecting Content Creators in Nepal