Digital Inequalities: Gender Perspectives

Cyberviolence against women and girls is a rapidly expanding phenomenon that reflects and amplifies structural gender inequalities. The digital environment reproduces patterns of power and control characteristic of offline violence, multiplied by the reach and speed of technological platforms. The scale is alarming: 9 out of 10 female users have witnessed online attacks against other women, and fewer than 40% of countries have laws adequately addressing the problem.

Generative AI has added an unprecedented dimension: 98% of sexual deepfakes target women, and a recent UN Women study found that 27% of women in public roles across 119 countries had received unsolicited sexual content, with 12% affected by what researchers term "virtual rape."

This symposium invites researchers to submit contributions across the following thematic areas:

• Forms and typologies of cyberviolence: harassment, cyberstalking, non-consensual intimate image sharing, sextortion, doxxing, hate speech, and AI-generated deepfakes.
• AI and algorithms: gender bias in automated systems and AI as both a tool of harm and potential prevention instrument.
• Legal frameworks and public policy: comparative analysis of national legislation and EU Directive 2024/1385.
• Prevention strategies: digital literacy, victim support resources, and platform accountability.
• Intersectional and comparative studies addressing age, ethnicity, class, and sexual orientation.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.