The UAE Gender Balance Council (UAE GBC), in collaboration with the Global Council on Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG5), hosted a workshop to develop policy guidelines for the prevention and address of tech-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) at the Government of Dubai Media Office.
The workshop was part of the women empowerment initiatives at the 10th edition of the World Government Summit (WGS) 2023, held under the patronage of Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, President of the Dubai Women Establishment, and the wife of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court.
What is tech-facilitated gender-based violence?
Tech-facilitated gender-based violence is a form of violence that uses information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as the internet, social media, mobile phones, and other digital platforms to harm, harass, threaten, or coerce individuals or groups on the basis of their sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation. TFGBV can include cyberstalking, online harassment, hate speech, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, online sexual exploitation, and digital surveillance, among others.
TFGBV has an extensive reach and a disproportionate impact on women and girls, who are more likely to be targeted, experience more severe forms, and face serious and longer-lasting negative consequences. TFGBV can also undermine women’s rights to security, privacy, freedom of expression, access to information, and participation in public life. Moreover, TFGBV can reinforce and normalize existing cultures of patriarchal violence and misogyny, while enabling the emergence of new ones.
Why is the UAE GBC workshop important?
The UAE GBC workshop is important because it brings together decision-makers from governments, international organizations, academia, civil society, and the private sector to collaborate on innovative projects and discuss the creative implementation of the SDG 5 (Gender Equality) at both national and global levels. The workshop aims to produce a policy note on preventing and addressing TFGBV to advance women’s economic and political security, which will be presented at the next WGS in 2024.
The workshop is also important because it showcases the UAE’s leadership and commitment to promoting gender equality and women empowerment, as well as its vision to create a sustainable and inclusive society. The UAE has made significant progress in advancing the status of women in various fields, such as education, health, economy, politics, and culture. The UAE has also established several institutions and initiatives to support women’s empowerment, such as the UAE Gender Balance Council, the Dubai Women Establishment, the Emirates Council for Gender Balance, and the Gender Balance Guide.
What are the key outcomes and recommendations of the workshop?
The workshop participants discussed the specific challenges and opportunities that exist in preventing and addressing TFGBV, and identified key focus areas for the policy note. Some of the key outcomes and recommendations of the workshop are:
- Developing a comprehensive and holistic definition of TFGBV that covers all forms and manifestations of online and offline violence against women and girls, and recognizes the intersectionality of gender with other factors such as race, ethnicity, religion, disability, and age.
- Enhancing data collection and measurement of TFGBV, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, and ensuring the participation and empowerment of women and girls in the process.
- Strengthening the legal and policy frameworks to protect women and girls from TFGBV, and ensuring their implementation and enforcement, as well as providing access to justice and support services for survivors.
- Engaging the business and technology sectors to adopt a feminist and human rights-based approach to the design, development, and regulation of ICTs, and to foster a culture of accountability and transparency.
- Raising awareness and education on TFGBV, and promoting positive and respectful online behavior, as well as digital literacy and safety skills, among all stakeholders, especially young people.
- Building partnerships and coalitions among different actors and sectors to share best practices, exchange knowledge, and coordinate actions to prevent and address TFGBV.
