Launch of the research “The dark side of digitalization: Addressing technology-facilitated violence against women in Eastern Europe and Central Asia”

Event time and location: Online, 29 November

• 09:30 – 12:30 Brussels (GMT+1)
• 11:30 – 14:30 Istanbul (GMT+3)
• 13:30 – 16:30 Tashkent, Dushanbe (GMT+5)
• 14:30 – 17:30 Astana, Bishkek (GMT+6)

Event sponsors: UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

The UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia is thrilled to announce the official launch of the research “The Dark Side of Digitalization: Technology-Facilitated Violence Against Women in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.” The report provides new insights into technology-facilitated violence against women in Southeast and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, drawing on surveys with over 12,000 women across the regions as well as interviews with state and civil society representatives.

It explores the types and prevalence of technology-facilitated violence against women in the region and its consequences on women and girls’ attitudes, experiences and access to services. Furthermore, it maps the existing normative and institutional landscape, and role and perspective of relevant stakeholders in providing prevention and support services to survivors of technology-facilitated violence.

While not a new dimension of violence against women, global attention to technology-facilitated violence increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, when lockdown and social distancing measures prompted a migration of professional and personal activities to online spaces and digital technologies. Although technology and digitalization provide powerful tools for women’s empowerment, they also provide perpetrators with the means to commit and intensify violence against women. Meanwhile, rapid advancements in technology and its consequent misuse outpace the ability of state and civil society actors to effectively respond to violence against women.

Co-convened with the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence and the Action Coalition on Technology and Innovation, the event seeks to offer significant insights into preventing, investing in, and responding to technology-facilitated violence against women.

The event will discuss the research findings, including the voices and perspectives of representatives from national gender mechanisms, ombuds offices, police, and civil society. It will also present recommended actions for state actors, civil society, regional and subregional institutions, philanthropies, and technology companies to strengthen the prevention of and response to technology-facilitated violence against women.

The working language of the event is English, with simultaneous translation in Albanian, Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian, Macedonian, Turkish and Russian.

View online/download:

• Agenda