Title: Interventions to Address Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence, from Ideation to Implementation

Speakers:

• Theodora (Theo) Skeadas (National Democratic Institute)
• Paulina Ibarra (Fundacion Multitudes)
• Ixchel G. Aguirre (Luchadoras)

The session, led by speakers Paulina Ibarra, Ixchel Aguirre, and Theodora Skeadas, started with a discussion around the pressing issue of online gender-based violence and its harmful effects on women’s political participation. The speakers drew from their extensive expertise in the field to discuss the normalization of gender-targeted political disinformation, particularly focusing on the experiences of women parliamentarians in Chile. The conversation also revolved around the way such violence erodes democratic resilience and deters women’s political engagement, further shining a light on the malicious foreign influence that specifically targets women and indigenous communities through disinformation campaigns.

In the combat against online gender-based violence, a trans-feminist organization, Luchadoras, has emerged as a pivotal player. Luchadoras, devoted to safeguarding digital, human, and gender rights, has initiated a support line that has addressed nearly 1800 digital violence cases in the past three years. The organization has also formulated a typology of digital aggression against women, which is regularly updated to reflect the ever-evolving digital landscape. Their initiatives span grassroots work with communities, extensive research, and resource provision for those at risk. A particular focus of the discussion was the understanding of legislation against harmful image dissemination in Mexico.