Fighting Gender-Based Violence
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a global crisis that threatens the safety, rights, and opportunities of women and girls. From sexual harassment in universities to widowhood stigma, online abuse, and violence in authoritarian regimes, GBV manifests in many forms, often reinforced by structural inequalities. This session will explore innovative strategies to combat GBV, focusing on the role of civic technology, data-driven advocacy, and cross-sector collaboration. How can civic tech and crowdmapping be used to track and prevent GBV? What are the impacts of digital violence and authoritarian leadership on gender rights? How can community-driven solutions and policy reforms ensure safer education environments for women and girls?
Additionally, we will discuss how feminist leadership can be sustained in an era of increasing challenges, addressing the chronic underfunding of grassroots gender justice movements. Participants will engage in a solutions-driven discussion, sharing strategies for leveraging technology, advocacy, and policy to create a world free from gender-based violence.
Key Questions:
How can civic technology, crowdmapping, and digital platforms be used to track and combat gender-based violence?
What is the impact of online violence, digital misinformation, and extremist ideologies on women’s rights and safety?
How does gender-based violence disrupt education, and what community-driven solutions can help protect women and girls in schools?
What are the experiences of widows across different regions, and how does widowhood intersect with gender-based violence, poverty, and stigma?
How can we sustain and support feminist leadership in a time when gender justice movements are increasingly underfunded and under attack?
This session will provide a collaborative space to share strategies, innovations, and best practices for addressing gender-based violence, protecting women’s rights, and ensuring safe, inclusive communities for all.
Session Co-Leaders:
Alisa Roadcup Bhachu – Co-founder of Refugee Can Be and Executive Director of the Chicago Refugee Coalition, advocating for women, girls, and forcibly displaced communities.
ElsaMarie D’Silva – Founder of Red Dot Foundation, leading Safecity, a global platform crowdsourcing personal experiences of sexual violence to make public spaces safer.
Iheoma Obibi – Executive Director of Alliances for Africa and certified SEAH investigator, with 30+ years of experience in gender justice, safeguarding, and feminist movement building.
Kanksshi Agarwal – Founder & CEO of NETRI Foundation, India’s first incubator for women in politics, shaping the intersection of technology, gender, and governance.
Mendy Marsh – Co-founder & Executive Director of VOICE, a global leader in humanitarian innovation and gender-based violence response, shifting power and resources to frontline women leaders.