The Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) Shared Research Agenda was officially launched during an online webinar on 19 September 2024 and is now available in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic. The release comes after 18 months of co-creation between the SVRI, Association for Progressive Communications (APC), UN Women, and the Global Partnership to End Online Abuse and Harassment, with input from over 500 experts in the field.
Drawing on collective expertise, the TFGBV Shared Research Agenda outlines research priorities for the next 5-10 years to ensure fair, effective, and relevant research on TFGBV. The agenda was developed through a comprehensive, 6-step iterative process that included opportunities for feedback from over 500 experts. Its recommendations serve as a guide for stakeholders to advocate for more and better resources to address knowledge gaps and build effective programs to respond to and prevent TFGBV.
I would have loved an agenda like this when I started, to know where to begin my research. The domains of the agenda really help focus researchers and advocates – Dr. Nyx Mclean, Chair of Research and Ethics at Eduvos
Reflections from the Panel: How Can the TFGBV Shared Research Agenda Be Best Used?
A well-attended webinar on 19 September marked the official launch of this ground-breaking report. With over 1,200 registrants, the event underscored the growing demand for platforms to discuss the rapidly evolving realities of TFGBV, to establish effective strategies, and to strengthen advocacy efforts.
Moderated by Raphaelle Rafin, Programme Specialist for VAW data and research at UN Women’s EVAW Section, the panel of experts explored key findings of the study, shared how the agenda informs their work, and discussed how it can advance TFGBV prevention and response. “Having a collective vision of where we have gaps and where we want to go is a significant step for the whole movement,” explained Hera Hussein, Founder and CEO of CHAYN, a global non-profit focused on addressing gender-based violence online.
Kalliopi Mingeirou, Chief of the Ending Violence against Women Section (EVAW) at UN Women, noted that the Shared Research Agenda aligns with a global framework that prioritizes TFGBV. She highlighted the inclusion of technology and innovation’s impact on gender equality within the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), as well as discussions at the Summit of the Future regarding women’s safety in digital spaces. These alignments underscore the importance of a coordinated global approach to governance on TFGBV.
Having a collective vision of where we have gaps and where we want to go is a significant step for the whole movement – Hera Hussein, Founder and CEO of CHAYN
Benedetta Musillo, Senior Social Development Adviser and Deputy Team Leader in the Research and Evidence Division at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), discussed measures taken by the UK and its partners to address TFGBV, and how the Agenda guides these initiatives. These include legal frameworks, the “safety by design” approach with tech companies, and services for survivors that are free and accessible.
Cindy Southworth, Head of Women’s Safety at Meta, emphasized the Agenda’s role in TFGBV prevention and highlighted private sector efforts to reduce abusive behavior. She shared examples such as warning screens for potentially harmful online comments, which result in users editing or deleting content 50% of the time, and platforms registering on StopNCII.org to prevent non-consensual image sharing.
Inclusive Strategies to Eradicate TFGBV
Panellists underscored how the Shared Research Agenda holds significance for their work. The Agenda prioritizes prevention and response research for underrepresented communities, aiming to create safer online spaces for users and survivors. “Survivor-inspired strategies are essential. We need to bring marginalized voices to light and develop strategies for staying safe,” explained Dr. Nyx Mclean, Chair of Research and Ethics at Eduvos and Research Associate at Rhodes University. Mclean emphasized the need to include transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals in TFGBV research to ensure an intersectional approach that acknowledges the unequal impacts of TFGBV.
Hera Hussein also highlighted the importance of a decolonial and intersectional lens to understand how TFGBV manifests differently across regions. For example, while Western discussions may focus on issues like nudity, communities in the Middle East and South Asia often experience TFGBV without explicit sexual content, such as non-consensual image sharing.
The final commitments and takeaways from the panel demonstrated a collective will to continue developing strategies and initiatives through the TFGBV community of practice. Panelists emphasized the importance of pulling more stakeholders—especially men and private sector actors—into the conversation and continuing the momentum toward a world free of violence, both online and offline.
This article was written by Maja Romano, from the Association for Progressive Communications, and Clara Roig Medina, from the SVRI.
