Ms. Sima Bahous, Broadband Commissioner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director has shared her 'Insight' regarding digital gender equality.

Sexual harassment, stalking, and zoom bombing are all examples of online and ICT-facilitated violence against women and girls that are expanding. Misogyny and sexual violence are finding new digital homes in virtual reality and the metaverse. Women journalists, politicians, and activists who rely on an online presence for their work are therefore especially impacted. A concerning fact is that more than half of girls and young women surveyed globally have already experienced some form of online violence.

She firstly recommends that governments should establish strong and clear codes of conduct for law enforcement officials dealing with online violence against women and girls, as well as to invest in specialized justice officers to deal with such violence in a human rights and gender-sensitive manner. Secondly, she suggested that internet intermediaries make high-level, clear commitments to ensure the safety of women and girls in online spaces.