IGF 2023 – Day 0 – Event #167 Human rights in the digital age from a gender persuaded – RAW

The following are the outputs of the captioning taken during an IGF intervention. Although it is largely accurate, in some cases it may be incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. It is posted as an aid, but should not be treated as an authoritative record.

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>> KAREN CRUZ:  Good afternoon going to start this panel.  It's called a human rights in the digital age from gender persuaded.  I from Bolivia.  Work for center for internet of Bolivia moderating session.  People online.  Includes also online, she will be the online moderator.  She's there.  An I'm going to give you now some minutes for the panel to introduce themselves please.  I'm going to start with the people who is here on site.  Testing.  Okay.  Hi everyone.  Good afternoon.  My name is Julia.  I am from Brazil youth delegate.  I come here with another 14 youth members  from Brazil.  I have been invited in schedule.  And last minute.  But I study currently study hate in Brazil.  Internet connection and national internet relations social relations.  And my association is from federal University.  Really happy to be here.  Since it's such an important aspect to discuss internet forums.  And I will that's my two.

>> Thank you so much.  Hello everyone.  My name is ANADOR, I'm from they Paul.  Small developing country in Asia.  NEPAL.  I'm so honored to join you here talking about * the prospective online and off line.  I'll be talking about the divide and how off line world.  Gender gap.  Thank you for having me.

>> Thank you.  Also we have online, two people.  Please introduce yourselves.  Umut first, please.  Umut?  Okay.  So we can go to Mariana Lopez please, also.  Could you confirm it, please?  Okay.  They are going in.  They need co‑host access, please, Karen.  So they can actually be on camera, please.  Let's wait a minute.  Okay.  Mariana can we start with you, please?

of course.  Hello everyone.  Greetings from Mexico.  Is it a great honor for me to be in this panel discussing such an important topic.  And I work in an organization that's, a Mexican organization that works with indigenous communications.  And I am very thrilled to be here.  I was in the youth IGF in CART heavy pockets of rain a this year.  So important to continue this discussion.  CARTAJENA.  Surrounding gender and access.  Thank you very much for invitation and I'm very glad to be here

>> LIA HERNANDEZ PEREZ: 

thank you can you please access to Umut, who is also needs access to be on the camera.  Okay.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Umut, please.  Your mic is off.  We can hear you.

>> UMUT PAJARO VELASQUEZ:  Now you can hear me?

yes.

>> UMUT PAJARO VELASQUEZ:  Perfect.  Hello Umut Umut Pajaro Velasquez from CARTAJENA Columbia.  I'm here representing the gender group and chair of the group in Internet Society.  And I will be sharing with you some visions about how gender is affected by in general, how gender is actually, for human rights on the internet in general.

okay.  Thank you.  Umut.  Thank you Mariian a, thank you Julia.  That are here.  We are going to now address some question

>> I know each of you know which one is going to address.  So just go with the first question.  First question is can gender be considered as factor in equality?  When we talk about the rights on the internet.  Thaivment question is for me.  Yeah, I'm going to reply.  It's like yes.  Gender can be considered as factor causing inequality when we talk about the rights the internet.  And rights on internet.  This is because actually, how society is constructed and how gender roles are defined because individuals, so some others more than others.  Between the genders in this case, talking about gender gap.  Defer resin between men, woman and gender.  Deferance.  Use the information and communication technologies.*  I would like to address four different gender gaps.  Actually evidenced we talk about these inequality between genders.  One is access.  Having especially more technology.  See that not only woman, gender people, access to internet.  And smartphone.  Particular true as I say in the lower countries more, marginal site groups, people, so adults living in the areas or had another intercession Allan characteristics such as race or some disability.*  Another one is skilled woman, less likely the men to have woman and genderless people.  Less likely to have needed to use the internet effectually and empower them and be more active inside of the internet.  Especially.  This can be included skills, how to use a computer or browse the internet, and more coding or programming.  We see that in so many reports that came from different NGOs, ig governmental organizations, actually more * feel and actually more, fields more presence of men, than woman, people causing that inequality.  Woman, men, for example, woman genderless people more likely to use the internet for education and social Networking and many actually use it for menus it more for working more for internet, gaming and entertaining.  Different use* of the internet, between the two genders.  And the last one that I would like to address is safety.  Woman genderless people, more likely to experience online violence an harassment.  When we actually start to talk about on internet.  We need to take phenomena account the gender variable because ‑‑ take into account the gender variable.  In society, people that know the woman or genderless more predisposed online basis.  This includes cyber bullying sexual harassment, stalking.  Another kind that people just for being a woman.  And genderless, experience.  Online.  So actually, not anything, wrong between that, so if we want actually to solve this, we need to address some issues that can get us to a point that inequalities can be solved or getting to a point that man, woman, genderless people can access more equal way.  One broadest solutions is to expand access to ICT Teas for woman, genderless people.  IC Teas.  From gender exclusiveness, skilled training includes access to woman led initiatives because right now,* only 35 percent of the initiatives are led by woman and genderless people.  Address online violence against women and genderless people.  To finalize my presentation, give some recommendation for more equal and diverse internet in terms of rights for gender propriety.  Social media, to take down handful of content, misongyny any and in a timely manner.  Perhaps manner.  Implement gender sensitive, privacy spol policies and ‑‑ policies laws.  Support organization equal rights for women, girls, genderless people, encourage more woman, genderless people, in the science, in STEM fields.  So challenge gender stereotypes about technology, online participation.  To change the way we see that technology can be used for women, girls and genderless people.

thank you.  I think you already mentioned some of the inequalities we can have about the gender, with the gender.  Also, you gave some solutions.  But in that sense, I would like to ask Mariana if you can give from your perspective what the worst examples of inequality that we should immediately address in relation to gender and internet, and also, what would be some actions to prevent this?

Mariana

>>KEOLA: Okay, thank you very much.  Mari Aiona thank you very much for question and Umut for that brilliant participation.

I think that one of the most important inequalities an issues is precisely not only access for woman to internet, but also, how are women and social shaping internet.  So I think internet access is very important for educational purposes.  Especially specifically from a gender perspective.  Because access to information is key in order to make relevant changes in people's mind sets.  For example, in my experience, I myself became a feminist thanks to internet access.  I started using internet approximately when I was 11.  And I can still recall and remember that shift and impact from when I was an logical to when I started to browse online.  And online actual tools I was able to shop my identity shape my identity perspective about gender issues and feminist approach.  Definitely not common topics at that time in school or any other space.  Most importantly, as I grew older, it helped me to organize and meet other groups of women, girl it's and women in my territory this starting to be a tendency.  Everyday people are connecting from younger age A according to Mexican association of internet, 60 percent of people that are connect in Mexico are between six and 34 years old.  This means that from 8 millions of Mexicans ‑‑ 88 millions Mexicans are connected.  Most of the population are young people.  And also, 52 percent of this population are women.  Also, due to the pandemic, these numbers have increased rapidly.  Children from six to 12 careers years old had it connect sudden way out programs or preparation for it*.  I think this it is why it is so important to mediate and filter what young girls are and dissidents are accessing and because it really shapes your mindset in such formative years*.  Definitely gender perspective is essential.  Any policy must recognize this historical and system at Cal differences in which women are raised.  It has studied how technology has not been totally accessible for* women and it has been designed more of male perspective.  Now that we see that from these numbers, that the problem now is not access because younger and younger people are connected and most of them are women.  So I think the issues and things that should be attended immediately are policies and dynamics that occur in digital space.  Because they are the same that occur in real world and real environment, and it is also very much sometimes these issues are more relevant or more affecting young girls.  Also, I think, and I think that this really connects with what Umut was saying.  According to the Mexican institute of work exe difficulty, only competivity only three of STEM professors are women.  Still dealing with very large gap in Mexico from girls and women access to this kind of presentation.  In order to Phil this gap, each state of Mexico we are 32 states must NCSRC at least in ‑‑ increase 71 percent of number of women in their curriculum*.  This means more than 50 percent what it is right now.  This means that it would take the Government 37 years to really reach equality in this STEM arrears.  So because it has been increasing year to year, but only in 4.4 percent.  So really, why are women not accessing to this kind of education and it is been thoroughly tested that what it is today, why women don't feel secure to access to this kind of preparation, is violence, discrimination and also, gender differential or base education.  Still something that is happening.  So we must ensure access for women and sexual dissidents from a feminist gender perspective and really include * women in the shaping of internet.  But not only from access because what really is important is to see what these young Germanys are accessing and ‑‑ girls are accessing and how are they accessing internet from young ages and I think that they must be included, the most younger women in this discussion.  Like not only from perspective of they have access for the actual necessities but also, how can they really be included in the discussions that shape internet.

thank you Mariana.  I think both of you, and Umut mentioned some inequalities.  Some actions to prevent.  Also, how we should fix that in some terms.  But I would like to maybe hear about something from the perspective from the rights.  I would like to address you with that question.  Is there any difference in access or treatment that you can give because of what you mentioned?  Or is that all?

>> Excuse me.  I think that question is directed to Yolanda.  Confused.

A.Sorry.

in that case, I would like to talk more about in terms of rights.  I would like to know if there is any difference in access or treatment you can give because of gender.  Gender rights.  I would like to know if you can mention some ideal scenario, maybe, how rights should be warranted.

thank you, thank you so much for having me.  So when it comes to digital rights, for the most importantly, important is access to internet itself.  I came from, I come from country like NEPAL.  A APEX reason.  Leaving the region.  At the same time, we have highest digital divide itself.  40 percent of the population in our areas still unconnected.  If we see the gender divide in internet access, in terms of Asia‑Pacific, 54 percent of women connected to the internet compared to 59 percent of men connected to the internet.  There is number of like years gender gap.  It is actually reflected from the off line world.  We have internet, we went and gender minorities fought for rights.  There was no rights to education for women back then.  And there was no right to vote and then then shifted to the like internet.  Get access, those rights were, again, deprived people get to deprive you in the online world as well.  So right now, there is digital divide and into that digital divide, there is again gender divide.  If we see the 40 percent of the people who doesn't have access, the majority is people from the gender minorities.  If we talk about women and then other gender, that are being recently not okay recognized by society.  It's about the society, how we see it.  Internet is just a tool*.  Let us access other rights that are actually prevalent in the society.  So we have to make sure that we can use internet so that everybody can have equal rights.  Not only in the internet, but in a society I think.  And I can come back to this with more questions.  I think.  Thank you.

thank you.  He's right.  In those words, Julia now maybe you can give us some rengses for more‑recommendations he mentioned more equality and diverse internet, in terms of the digital rights.

so I would like to make some remarks.  Before I start any recommendation.  I guess we have agreements on gender issues.  Off line*, Albert Perez of off line ‑‑ presidents of off line matters and under age perspective.  That we have like rivers flow, flow to common response, this problems, problem attics, are ‑‑ problematics probably the first in most pressing matters.  What I can gather from this meeting.  Which like to draw to my educational upbringing in my college degree.  About thinking off line as a necessity or problem to tackle through the society as a multi‑stakeholder problem.  Thinking that not only the Government should offer more opportunities or should establish better connection or quality connection to disconnected areas, and so on, what are we doing as a society, as enterprises as companies, and Governments too, to captivate, to grow empathy and fullness on gender diverse in women.  To close that gap we have of association what is the matters of internet or what is career or a work or a research on the internet matters.  From my perspective in Brazil, I think that the most topics that draw on the youth ‑‑ draw the youth to science but especially internet and IT world is science fiction, and games.  And we and there's a point to be made in gaming culture and in gaming communities, that our left unattended and left to be developed by company as they wish.  And to also not care about problems that exclude that type of gender.  Like company can develop the game and the community to better accommodate male audience.  Male young audience and that is also like allowance to just not tackle problems like a community health.  Because we have PR, we have marketing, and they also have the power to like in games, they have records, they have data enough to affirm category that a player is tired, player has certain behavior, has certain tactics, so on.  We know and everyone in this room knows how can we trace the human personality so deeply, yet why are we not using that information to trace their bad experiences.  Why are we not using it to tackle the problems of violences and why they don't feel interest in participating in a game or why do they feel the interest in participating in a gaming community and that community, but even if that community is not healthy or welcoming to them.  Because there are lots, in Brazil, have some researches about how racism, how sexual violence, virtual sexual violence and assault or sex don't throw away or don't distance the public or I mean, the racialally attacked public racially attacked public or the women.  Still are part* of the, still want to be part of the community.  They stay there.  They go on.  They move through.  And they power through in fact, and still facing those attacks.  It's not a matter of regulation.  I don't think that is the point of regulation.  It's about like getting to know better what we are doing with the youth, what we are letting them to experience, and how can we change that?  Because the point is that I think we observed that even though there's a A task may distance some, the ones that stay are just hurt.  Those attacks may distance some.  They are damaged may not have the* positive, surely doesn't have the positive connection of that empathy and fondness or IT talk, IT matters, IT things and also internet things and so on.  We are pushing them away.  Although they are there.  Consuming.  They're not moving up on the ladder.  They're not developing their path in a way that we see the male audience and white audience developing in IT especially, but also, in communication on the communications, matters and communication things.  So we can think as a society, what can I do?  Me?  The third sector, what can I do?  I can maybe employ better activities or research and what has intention of this youth?  What can we develop to bring attention of this youth, to bring the love of this youth, to the connected world.  Internet world and the gaming world.  And as companies maybe they can start to think and elaborate projects to think of the health in their community and not like, moderating their community.  You can't say certain words and we'll stop there.  How are communities see us and how do they view this community?  People have opinions.  About different internet communities.  The red, this court, league of legends counter strike.  All have opinions about that communities.  And those communities are millions of people.  What do they think about it and how can companies can they change?  Should be worry being that.  To build a better environment.  The Government obviously can induce that development in steer that interest into develop economic interest in tackling those problems.  But we're still not seeing that since in the news.  One of the most connected countries more than we, modern countries that countries of we the speakers.  In the UK we are from Latin America Asia.  We more connected than us.  2 percent of the resources of ICT start‑ups are destined to women‑led start‑ups.  Rest of the 98 percent of those resources are destined to male led audiences.  There is again, another problem, another suggestion, of Governments.  Are we directing better resources to which type of audiences?  Sorry.  Not audience.  Which type of demographics.  I think that is my say.  I may be over stepped the time.

it's okay.  Thank you Julia.  You mentioned many different inequalities from different perspective.  I like there were like I don't know if the audiences knows Umut is from Columbia.  Julia and I from Mexico.  Julia is from Brazil.  He's from NEP a.  L different areas perspectives different in live continents.  Inequalities they mentioned basically the same.  So in that case*, I think I would like to address one question maybe for the panelist if any of you want to answer one of them.  What do you think is important?  This kind of events like IGF you are here, giving us your perspective, we help basically the same inequalities.  Basically the same problems.  It's been the same over the years.  It's not, it's at some point, shows maybe improving.  When I heard you, same problem.  Like last year, like two years ago.  Three years ago.  So what do you think is important to keep talking about in this kind of events?  I don't know if some of you want to address that?  Any of you?

>> UMUT PAJARO VELASQUEZ:  Being here, you were saying that, when you you're making the question.  Because we continue every year, we need tier constant on this topic until things are better.  If we don't, don't use these spaces to say this kind of things, what kind of spaces we are going to use?  So yeah, saying and the question, answer.  Things that are better not only for women, girls also for genderless people.  Continue advocating, keep continuing asking, to Governments.  To do something.  To improve the and eliminate this gender gap that we have.

>>SPEAKER: Thank you don't really have questions from the online participation.  Public wants to answer some questions or just talk about this gender gap on the internet?  Okay.  If there is no one.  Some of the speakers want to do some finals remark about the topic.  Brief, please.  No one?  Julia?  ANANDA, Mariana perhaps?  Thank you Mariana.

>>SPEAKER: Thank you.  Answering the question, was just made, I think that using this spaces, even if we were talking about the same topics and maybe it replicates means we care about it and I think that women and also younger dissidents are hearing us and seeing topics are placed over here.  Means we care and actively searching for it.  Not everything is lost.  In Mexico, where I live, I have been seeing very important shift in how feminists organizations are working.  Very prolific movement especially from younger trans‑woman, also younger woman, that are organizing through internet and through discussions that are occur in different social media.  They gather up in real life.  They are meeting in online spaces and are able to make political movements that transcend digital space.  So even though I think that yeah, we do maintain the same problems from various year, but I also think that things are changing.  At least.  That is what is happening in a lot of territories.  So I think shaping is internet is important including younger voices because the relevancy for me what happens online.  Opportunity that young girls and young dissidents have to connect to shape mindsets about this important topics and make changes in real life.  To gather and to activate and also giving them this disbursed opportunities of political shaping of political gathering, I think that is very, very powerful.  And that is why I very much appreciate this kind of spaces to include voices from younger women, different places  from of of the world and people to hear about it.  So yeah, I think that is the importance to keep talking about these issues.

>>SPEAKER: Thank you Mariian a.

>>SPEAKER: Thank you so much.  I would like to reflect my previous talk, I talked about how off line world reflected on the online.  What I wanted to focus closing remarks, as we move towards it modern technologies using actually using learning and AI.  2022 was a year when AI actually got so much famous with gender tools.  Google bart.  See how gender bias reflected emerging technologies.  Collective action needed so that those threats seeing in off line world are not reflected again in terms of emerging technologies.  Again, another thing.  When it comes to misinformation and disinformation, targeted attacks, in terms of information defamation, actually women politicians actress and gender minorities that are being attacked.*  They are being targeted the.  How do we actually limit emerging technologies to eliminate those kind of things in and internet I see it as a tool.  Catalyst, that can be used to actually eliminate in terms offer building of women and other gender minorities, again, to actually eliminate that kind of information, targeted, that's it.  Thank you.  I think it calls for collaborative things and may be digital kind of things, including this kind of things in school curriculum, like we have to start from root.  So I call for like collaborative more digital approach.  So that we can eliminate these things.  Thank you.

>>SPEAKER: Thank you.  Julia, anything further?  Yes, I will keep with that about the collaboration and I would like to mention that even today zero with everybody is tired and with the jetlag, all decision is not fully booked, I think this is very important, these spaces where we can talk.  We are actually in a debate here.  We have today to talk about this.  We have this space.  I would like to mention that.  I think it's very important talk about the gender gap, internet question.  Important to remark even we don't have inch ‑‑ many audience or maybe more time or even if we don't have all the funding to everyone to come here, you heard, we have different experiences all on the don't Netanyahu.  Trying to ‑‑ continent.  Try to do effort this EA to be as collaborative.  We are people from different parts of the world.  Thank you so much.  Thank you to be here and just keep talking about this gender gap in internet.  Thank you so much.

[applause]

thank you.