Women of Europe Awards 2020 – Side event
Co-organised by the European Movement International and the European Women’s Lobby

The digital sphere can be an empowering space for citizens, as well as a driver of connectivity and democratic participation. At the same time, the online world can become an echo chamber of our society, deepening existing power imbalances and inequalities while preventing underrepresented voices from being heard.

While the internet can be a tool of empowerment for women, online gender inequality and cyber violence are on the rise. Girls and women face an increasing amount of abuse and discrimination on digital platforms or are subject to bias through artificial intelligence algorithms. In light of the current pandemic, the internet has become a lifeline for many. Much of our daily lives, work, access to news and information, communication, and political debates now take place online, making the creation of a safe and inclusive online space more urgent than ever. 

What kind of forms of online violence and discrimination do women experience take and how does this affect their political participation? How can we enhance actions at the EU level against the rise of gender inequality and gender-based violence online? And how can civil society, social media platforms, and EU policy-makers work better together to protect the rights of women online and help make cyberspace more empowering, inclusive and diverse?

Speakers:
Asha Allen, Policy and Campaigns Officer, European Women’s Lobby 
Johanna Nejedlová, Activist from Czechia, co-founder of Konsent
Lisa Nic An Bhreithimh, Head of Communications and Education, European Movement Ireland
Michela Palladino, Public Policy Manager – EU Affairs, Facebook
Dr Sylwia Spurek, Member of the European Parliament (Greens/EFA) & Vice-Chair, Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

This discussion was moderated by Vanessa Cotterell, European Movement International, and focused on the intersectional challenges and opportunities for women online, against the backdrop of the pandemic. By connecting views from European civil society, the European Parliament and a social media platform, we discussed the role of different actors in the EU to address the discrimination, harassment and violence that women increasingly face online. Speakers assessed the responsibility of policy-makers and social media platforms in creating a safe, empowering and diverse online space for women and underrepresented voices in our society. 

Rewatch the event here :