people around table - Intersessional Work during IGF 2015

IGF 2022 BPF Gender and Digital Rights

2022 Focus Areas

The 2022 Best Practice Forum on Gender and Digital Rights looks into the impact of regulations from a gender justice perspective and generate conversations with people who are affected by these regulatory practices, as well as assess the impacts of the diminishing privacy and hiper-fiscalizations of women and LGBTQI+ people online.

Under the scope "Hyper-fiscalization through regulation", the BPF defines the theme as any over regulatory practice - i.e., newly proposed regulation or legal amendments turned into gendered censorship - that might represent changes in ensuring freedom of expression, preservation of online identities, safety and civic spaces, and criminalization of activities of historically marginalized communities.

This year's work is an opportunity to raise awareness of how some regulations are pervasive and directly affect the wellbeing of women and LGBTQIA+ communities. It also aims to bring an intersectional perspective to the IGF agenda of urgent and necessary transformations for a gender-sensitive ecosystem, which adds value to the overall democratic development.

The community engagement will continue to happen over a dedicated mailing list. All interested stakeholders are most welcome to subscribe through this link. Participants are expected to respect the IGF Code of Conduct.

IGF 2022 BPF Gender and Digital Rights Main Session

Regulatory Practices: A Friend or Foe to Gender and Digital Rights? 

Friday 02 December, 10:45 - 12:15 UTC

Summary Report

Human rights must be observed in all aspects of one’s life – personal and professional, online and offline. On the Internet, both female and LGBTQIA+ communities have found safe spaces to freely express themselves. Similarly, journalists and human rights activists were able to exercise their right to freedom of expression without being targeted as if they were using traditional media.

Notwithstanding, censorship based on sex and gender still happen, persecution of dissident voices, likewise. The tool that promotes civic spaces and global outreach is the same that amplifies discrimination. In some countries, legal instruments provide the regulatory base to suppress the rights of marginalized communities in different spheres. Once pushed away from societal life, these marginalized communities are now leaving the online space as a means to protect their privacy and safety.

This session will address the main subjects of this year's BPF Gender and Digital Rights: (a) Privacy and surveillance; (b) Freedom of expression; and (c) Freedom of association and religion; in order to understand the thin lines between protective and user-oriented regulatory practices and authoritative language with possible restrictions to our digital rights.

When: Friday 02 December, 10:45 - 12:15 UTC

Where: Room CR1 and online

Confirmed speakers (as of 21/11/2022):

  • Ms. Mariana Valente, Professor - St. Gallen University
  • Ms. Julia Haas, Project Associate Officer - Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
  • Ms. Onica N. Makwakwa, Independent
  • Ms. Bia Barbosa, Activist - Coalizão Direitos na Rede

 

BPF Coordinating Team

  • Amrita Choudhury (MAG Facilitator)
  • Bruna Martins dos Santos (MAG Facilitator)
  • Courtney Radsch (MAG Facilitator)
  • Marwa Azelmat (Coordination Team)
  • Daphnee Iglesias (Consultant IGF Secretariat)

 

Meetings & Updates

Upcoming:

BPF Gender Call VIII, 17 October 2022 15:00 UTC (calendar link tbc)

Past:

  • BPF Gender Call VII, 26 September 2022 15:00 UTC
  • BPF Gender Call VI, 05 September 2022 15:00 UTC
  • BPF Gender Call V, 25 August 2022 15:00 UTC
    • Minutes under collation
  • BPF Gender Call IV, 11 August 2022 15:00 UTC
  • BPF Gender Call III, 25 July 2022 15:00 UTC
    • Minutes under collation
    • Recording; access passcode: z@2fBw&T
  • BPF Gender update to the IGF 2nd Open Consultations and MAG meeting, 06-08 July 2022
  • BPF Gender Call II, 04 July 2022 15:00 UTC
  • BPF Gender Call I, 06 June 2022 13:30 UTC

Past work:

Read more about this BPF 2021 Output as the foundation for this year's work.