Welcome to the United Nations
| Equality Now, Government of Australia and Women Leading in AI |
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The rapid expansion of digital technology is bringing both extraordinary opportunities and profound disruption to our global society. As we accelerate into our digital future — of fast-paced digital transformation, high internet speeds, algorithms, machine learning, web 3, the blockchain and the metaverse — this new ecosystem is reflecting, replicating and indeed amplifying the biases and discrimination of existing structural inequalities of the physical world, such as sex and gender-based discrimination, racism and misogyny. Online channels have created tremendous opportunities, among others for free expression, global scale organizing and collective action and countering oppression. But, rights and freedoms are also infringed upon, and old and new forms of violence and crime are perpetrated online in a globalized multijurisdictional and unevenly regulated space with increasing impunity. Of alarming concern is the proliferation of online sexual violence and abuse in forms such as online sex trafficking, online coercion and extortion and deepfake imagery. Under SDG 5, Governments committed to achieve gender equality and end all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls. Indicator 5.1.1 measures Government efforts to put in place legal frameworks that promote, enforce and monitor gender equality. Experts drawn from governments, the UN, and civil society will discuss the opportunities presented by the SDGs and other international standards to secure the rights of women and girls in the digital space. They will also consider any gaps in protection, and how commitment to universal digital rights may help to address the gaps and contribute to achieving the SDGs. Register here for the side-event |
