A/HRC/RES/38/5
reproductive rights, in accordance with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and
the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development
and the outcomes of their review conferences;
6.
Further recognizes that encryption and anonymity may contribute to
individuals’ full enjoyment of human rights, including the right to freedom of opinion and
expression and the right to privacy, in accordance with international law, and may empower
individuals, including women and girls, to access information and ideas, to seek help,
assistance and guidance and to freely explore and express ideas relating to their identity and
human rights;
7.
Draws attention to the fact that, in order to ensure the full participation of
women and girls in the digital age, digital divides, which disproportionately affect women
and girls living in rural or remote areas, need to be addressed by facilitating women’s and
girls’ equal access to digital technologies, to science, technology, engineering and
mathematics education and to a technological environment that is conducive to engagement
by all women and girls, including through the use of assistive technologies, and promotes a
safe and secure digital environment for women and girls, without discrimination or risk of
violence and with particular focus on the needs of women and girls facing intersecting
systemic inequalities;
8.
Stresses that violence against women and girls may discourage them from
using digital technologies, thereby depriving them of effective tools to fully enjoy their
human rights, and could result in additional economic, social and psychological harm to
them;
9.
Recognizes that a proactive and reactive multipronged approach, working
with all relevant parties, to eliminate violence against women and girls in digital contexts is
required, including education and media campaigns, promoting a culture of respect and
non-discrimination online and offline, and maintaining awareness of technological change
in order to respond to new methods of violence against women and girls in digital contexts
as they emerge;
10.
Calls upon States to take immediate and effective action to prevent all forms
of violence against women and girls, including in digital contexts, by:
(a)
Developing, reviewing and strengthening inclusive policies, including by
allocating adequate resources to address the historical, structural and underlying causes,
including unequal power relations, and risk factors of violence against women and girls,
and ensuring that laws and policies are harmonized to address widespread violence against
women and girls and are in compliance with their international human rights obligations;
(b)
Prioritizing the integration of gender perspectives, and ensuring the early, full
and effective participation of women and girls in the development and implementation of
national policies, legislation, programmes, projects, strategies and regulatory and technical
instruments in the area of digital technologies and creating monitoring and accountability
mechanisms to ensure implementation of gender-sensitive policies and regulations, as well
as analysing the gender impact of such policies in consultation and collaboration with
women digital technology specialists, civil society organizations and gender equality
advocates;
(c)
Supporting initiatives taken by, inter alia, relevant international and nongovernmental organizations, business enterprises, faith and community groups, religious
leaders, parliamentarians, journalists, national human rights institutions, human rights
defenders, including women human rights defenders, and indigenous leaders and groups, as
part of their efforts to develop targeted and accessible responses, programmes and policies,
including by allocating adequate resources aimed at promoting gender equality and at
preventing, responding to and protecting women and girls from violence in digital contexts;
(d)
Encouraging digital technology companies, including Internet service
providers and digital platforms, to strengthen or adopt positive measures, including internal
policies, to promote gender equality in the design, implementation and use of digital
technologies with a view to eliminating violence against women and girls, and to refrain
from presenting women and girls as inferior beings and exploiting them as sexual objects
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