In an effort to address the digital gender divide and promote safety for women online, a coalition of feminist tech leaders, government representatives, civil society, and the United Nations have issued a call for solutions. They seek to create an online space free of violence, where women’s rights and freedom of expression are fully protected.
An Urgent Call to Address Digital Gender-Based Violence
With the continued surge of crimes like harassment targeting women online, a comprehensive measure to address gender-based cyber violence has become urgent. A staggering 60% of young women and girls have been victims of online harassment, which often further translates to real-world impact, worsening their overall quality of life. These challenges have prompted tech and policy leaders to rally around building safer online arenas for everyone, particularly women, transgender, and gender-diverse individuals.
Harnessing Tech for Women’s Safety: What’s Needed
The coalition emphasizes the need for safety to be the primary principle in technology development. Current tech, despite its potential as an equality catalyst, often mirrors offline inequalities hindering women, girls, and gender-diverse groups from enjoying a harassment-free digital sphere. The coalition suggests various focal points for solution submissions, including tech policies, product features, audit frameworks, and mitigative strategies to centre around women’s safety.
Launch of the Safety Showcase and How to Participate
Submitted solutions will be scrutinized using the Feminist Principles of the Internet, Safety by Design Principles, among others. Ten innovators will then be selected to display their proposals in the Safety Showcase, a series of global events slated to occur within the year. Details of these events will be provided on the coalition’s website in due course.
In conclusion, the campaign spearheaded by the coalition is a significant step towards redefining norms around online safety for women and girls. It seeks to leverage the power of technology to build an internet space where safety, tolerance, and freedom of expression thrive. It thus opens up a world of opportunities for innovators, policymakers, and tech enthusiasts to contribute to this revolutionary movement for women’s safety in cyberspace.
Don’t miss our latest Startup News: Professionals or Pupils: Choosing Who’s Best for Your Digital Tasks.