Digital literacy in Nepal : A media interview

Our Project Officer in Nepal, Neeta Shrestha, spoke to a leading Nepali media channel about the importance of a systemic, collaborative approach involving parents, the government, the education system and the private sector to strengthen online safety for children in Nepal.

Here is a summary of the 30-minute interview segment which is originally in the Nepali language.

Host: Recently, internet use has increased a lot, especially among children. They often cannot distinguish what’s good or harmful. Since you’ve been working in this field for a long time, what effects are you seeing on children in Nepal?

Nita: Currently, internet and social media use is rising rapidly, with children and youth heavily engaged. According to the Cyber Bureau (Nepal Police’s specialized cybercrime unit), from July 23 to July 24 alone, over 17,000 cybercrime cases were registered, with 487 involving children—both boys and girls. Some cases even involved children themselves in conflict with the law.

Host: That means sometimes the exploiter is also a child?
Nita: Yes, which is a very serious issue.

Host: So, how can children be kept away from such risks? What role can society, parents, and organizations like yours play?

Nita: Terre des Hommes uses a systemic change approach. We don’t just address surface issues but go to the root causes. To prevent online sexual exploitation of children, we work on awareness-raising, with parents, schools, communities, and government bodies at all levels. Nepal lacks strong specific laws on online child exploitation, so we advocate for new legal frameworks. We can’t keep children away from gadgets or the internet entirely, but we can educate and inform them about risks.

Host: So awareness is the first step?
Nita: Exactly. Awareness among children, parents, teachers, and communities is essential. We also ensure children’s participation in decision-making through workshops and consultations, because they often notice things adults overlook.

We also collaborate with education systems, advocate for protective laws, and support victims. Many cases go unreported due to stigma. Filing a police report requires great courage. To address this, we’ve created peer-to-peer support groups in schools, where trained children can help classmates report issues to teachers, police, or child helplines (like 1098).

Host: But do parents and teachers really understand this?
Nita: Parents have the first responsibility, but many are less informed about online risks than their children. That’s why we form parents’ groups to raise awareness about digital risks. Children have the right to access the internet, but they must be guided on safe use.

Host: Terre des Hommes has been working in Nepal for over a decade. How effective has it been?
Nita: We’ve made progress, though within budget and time limits. A major milestone is integrating online child protection into Nepal’s school curriculum. With curriculum experts and ministries, we succeeded in including online child sexual exploitation prevention in Computer Science, Grade 9, Chapter 6 starting from the 2025 academic year.

Host: That’s a big achievement. What’s next?
Nita: We will orient teachers, strengthen child clubs and parents’ groups, and ensure sustainability. We also contributed to Nepal’s 16th National Plan of Action, which now includes online child protection.

Urban children face greater risks due to easier access to mobile phones and internet. Data shows girls are more often exploited, though boys are also vulnerable.

Host: What about results from the new curriculum?
Nita: It’s too early to measure, since it only started in 2025. But without strong action from state and civil society, children remain very unsafe online—facing sexual exploitation, fraud, bullying, harassment, mental health impacts, and even self-harm.

Host: Has your organization also worked with private sector partners?
Nita: Yes. We’ve partnered with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Nepal. Although not legally required, they voluntarily created a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Child Online Safety, including content filtering and parental controls.

We’ve also conducted child-led research where children themselves acted as researchers, exploring online experiences and safety. This gave powerful insights.