A/HRC/40/35 I. Introduction 1. On 21 and 22 June 2018, the Human Rights Council, pursuant to its resolution 6/30, convened its annual full-day discussion on the human rights of women. The discussion was divided into two panels: the first focused on the theme “The impact of violence against women human rights defenders and women’s organizations in digital spaces”; the second focused on the theme “Advancing women’s rights in the economic sphere through access and participation in information and communication technologies”. 2. The webcast of the panel discussions is archived and can be reviewed at http://webtv.un.org. II. The impact of violence against women human rights defenders and women’s organizations in digital spaces 3. The first panel discussion was opened by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and moderated by the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Dubravka Šimonović. The panellists were Seyi Akiwowo, founder and Director of Glitch!UK; Nighat Dad, Executive Director of Digital Rights Foundation; and Matt Mitchell, Director of Digital Safety and Privacy at Tactical Technology Collective. A. Opening Statement by the High Commissioner for Human Rights 4. In his opening remarks, the High Commissioner described the new opportunities brought about by the rise of the Internet, particularly as a tool for greater information, mobilization and participation. He also highlighted, however, that the digital space opened the door for new expressions of oppression and violence. He cited in particular intimidation and threats, including death threats and threats of sexual and gender-based violence, and defamation and disinformation campaigns, often of a sexualized nature, as manifestations of the forms of oppression and violence inflicted on women human rights defenders and activists online. The High Commissioner underlined that the connectivity of the Internet, combined with the rapid and massive dissemination of information, as well as anonymous profiles and the difficulty in removing false or violent content added layers of challenges in addressing online violence against women. 5. Paying tribute to the work of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and other activists, the High Commissioner pointed out that although all women could be subjected to online violence, women human rights defenders and those involved in politics or media work were particularly targeted. Research by the Internet and Democratic Project in India had found that discussions of domestic violence, marital rape, caste-based oppression and violations of the rights of religious minorities, as well as women expressing views on matters considered to be “men’s business” were most likely to give rise to online abuse. Women could also face a heightened risk of violence if they challenged patriarchal structures or dominant racial or religious norms. The scale of violence could be exacerbated for women of a specific age, ethnicity, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. 6. The High Commissioner then elucidated the impact of online campaigns against women human rights defenders and organizations. These aimed, inter alia, to threaten, to damage credibility, to silence, to diminish or to obliterate the power of female voices and to restrict the already limited public space in which women activists and women’s organizations could conduct their work and make a difference. While underlining the psychological effect of online violence on women human rights defenders, the High Commissioner pointed to its harmful impact on victims’ right to privacy, to freedom of expression and to full participation in economic, social, cultural and political life as well as on their safety, often with total impunity for perpetrators. The High Commissioner referred 2