A/HRC/40/35
should be collected by States, while companies should fully resource civil society’s actions
against online violence.
26.
Ms. Dad stressed that labelling women human rights defenders as “enemies of the
State” had triggered online violence against them. She emphasized the need to adopt laws
with multifaceted and rights-based approaches, as well as the importance of addressing the
gaps in law enforcement by training law enforcement officers and judges. Ms. Dad
recommended that intimidation, threats, violence and reprisals be investigated promptly and
independently, whether perpetrated by States or non-State actors.
27.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Mitchell drew on experience within his own
organization, highlighting that engaging with men and boys was critical; solutions required
educating them on gender equality from an early age. The younger they were when
engagement started, the better the outcomes would be. In terms of concrete steps taken by
women’s organizations in digital spaces, he referred to the need to focus on holistic security
models in addressing harassment and abuse. He stressed the importance of taking personal
digital safety seriously in social networks, reporting abuse, working together to find known
offenders and engaging in advocacy with States and non-State actors.
28.
Ms. Šimonović reminded all participants to look at the human rights framework
developed at the international level and how it was translated into national laws and
policies, including those relevant to encryption and the anonymity of female human rights
defenders and politicians.
III. Advancing women’s rights in the economic sphere through
access and participation in information and communication
technologies
29.
The second panel discussion was opened by the Deputy United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights. The keynote speech was made by the Minister for
Fisheries and Equal Opportunities and Minister for Nordic Cooperation of Denmark, Eva
Kjer Hansen. The panel was moderated by Anna Mori, Programme Officer and
Partnerships Manager at the SheTrades initiative launched by the International Trade
Centre. The panel comprised Chenai Chair, Researcher and Communications and
Evaluations Manager at Research ICT Africa; Basheerhamad Shadrach, Coordinator for
Asia at Alliance for Affordable Internet of the World Wide Web Foundation; and Rokhaya
Solange Ndir, Head of Digital Ecosystem Relations at Sonatel.
A.
Statement by the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights
30.
In her opening remarks, the Deputy High Commissioner reiterated that the same
strengths and weaknesses of the offline world were to be found in the virtual space. As the
latter had been built by people, its application and impact inevitably had a human
dimension, and therefore a rights dimension. She stressed that ICTs and the “fourth
industrial revolution” had changed the ways in which societies operated and changed the
bases for exchange, cooperation and even conflict between and within all communities.
ICTs therefore inevitably affected the enjoyment of human rights, which could have both a
positive and a negative effect on women’s and girls’ rights. The negative impact had been
clearly illustrated by the previous panel discussion on online violence against women
human rights defenders.
31.
Under the right circumstances, ICTs could serve as key enablers of women’s and
girls’ rights, such as their rights to equality, health and education, and could be key in
tackling multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. For example, ICTs could
provide more affordable and inclusive educational opportunities for girls with disabilities
by multiplying and diversifying learning means and methods. She stressed that ICTs could
also help realize the right to health in cases where women’s and girls’ physical access to
essential information and services, for example on sexual and reproductive health, was
restricted or impeded by distance, lack of availability, discriminatory legislation or stigma
6
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents