As part of the Protecting Online Rights of Changemakers (PORCH) project, Digitally Right led the Bangladesh component of a regional initiative focused on improving digital rights awareness and safety for women and youth in South Asia. The project was implemented in collaboration with Internews and regional partners including CUTS International (India).

Digitally Right’s main role was to conduct a multi-country research study titled “Tech Policy in South Asia – An Evolving Landscape.” This mixed-methods study explored how women and youth engage with digital platforms and how laws and policies across Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka affect their freedom of expression, online safety, and data privacy. The findings revealed widespread fear of surveillance, low awareness of rights, growing online gender-based violence, and exclusion of marginalized groups from digital policy-making spaces.

Digitally Right also contributed to the design of CyberHero, an interactive digital game aimed at improving digital safety literacy among young users. The development of the game was halted due to a US funding freeze.

Despite challenges, the PORCH project significantly advanced understanding of the digital rights landscape in South Asia and reinforced Digitally Right’s commitment to inclusive, research-driven digital advocacy for at-risk communities.