Technology is rapidly changing and advancing. International and national laws have not kept pace when it comes to countering tech-facilitated harms such as online sexual exploitation and abuse.
The Global Digital Compact (GDC) will be an international agreement that is intended to address some of these harms by “[outlining] shared principles for an open, free and secure digital future for all.” Currently in the process of being negotiated, and finalized for the Summit for the Future this September, the GDC will guide governments on regulations to promote gender equality and counter and eliminate online and digital harms including technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). TFGBV includes forms such as online sexual violence, technology-enabled trafficking, deep-fake imagery, and cyberstalking. In short, if these provisions are maintained in the final text, the GDC will establish the foundations for ensuring a safer digital space for women and girls.
Equality Now has been at the forefront of advocating for a GDC that includes gender equality and other feminist principles.
Through our Be Net Positive campaign, we’ve:
- Provided feminist intersectional analysis in global and regional processes and discussions around artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
- Built survivor-informed evidence on what needs to change globally. Soon, we will undertake focus studies in Kenya and India in collaboration with local organizations to gather survivor stories.
- Developed reports and policy briefs to share information with and engage national and international stakeholders.
- Provided legal and technical support in the development of a model law on TFGBV.
- Helped governments formulate and implement new laws in line with international law and standards.
Equality Now is also a founding member of the Alliance for Universal Digital Rights (AUDRi), which works to create a safe digital future with a focus on women, girls, and other vulnerable groups. Through advocacy and carefully targeted events, AUDRi has secured strategic relationships with several governments, including the United States and Sweden, committed to including our proposed principles as they negotiate the GDC. Brazil also committed to being the first AUDRi government champion.
The GDC is just the beginning of a long process in ensuring a safe future for everyone, especially women and girls, in the digital realm. Long after September, Equality Now will work to ensure continued protections against tech-facilitated sexual violence.
Upcoming…
- The Internet Governance Forum takes place this December. Equality Now will monitor ongoing discussions and any decisions made during the Forum.
- After the Summit for the Future, Equality Now will ensure accountability by developing a feminist digital rights scorecard to monitor and evaluate progress year-over-year. The first index is estimated to launch in September 2025 on the Summit’s first anniversary.