Proposer's Name: Ms. Jazmin Acuna
Proposer's Organization: TEDIC
Co-Proposer's Name: Ms. Maricarmen Sequera
Co-Proposer's Organization: TEDIC
Co-Organizers:
Same as the Proposal Contact person.
Session Format: Flash Session - 30 Min
Proposer:
Country: Paraguay
Stakeholder Group: Civil Society
Co-Proposer:
Country: Paraguay
Stakeholder Group: Civil Society
Speaker: Jazmin Acuna
Speaker: Maricarmen Sequera
Speaker: Luis Pablo Alonzo
Content of the Session:
In this session, we would like to present a strategic lawsuit that TEDIC is carrying forward in order to defy a court decision that censor a publication about gender-violence on the Internet. We want to describe how we have worked to raise awareness about the issues that affect women online, such as cyber harassment, phising, “sextorsion“, and others. Specifically, how we are making use of litigation tools to bring attention to the need to discuss the gendered nature of violence on the Web and ways to address it. The presentation will focus on a recent case whereby a famous YouTuber in Paraguay filed a lawsuit against a journalist and TEDIC for publishing screen-shots of a group chat where several men discuss how to rape the journalist in order to correct her sexual orientation. Policymaking debates that have emerged around the case are centered on questions of privacy, public interest, freedom of expression and digital inclusion, among others.
Relevance of the Session:
The session proposal is relevant to policymaking debates that are taking place around the world, particularly those related to ICTs and development, issues of privacy and freedom of expression and how to regulate gender-based violence on the Internet. Organizations such as Article19, Access Now and Latam digital rights partners such as Fundación Karisma, R3D and Derechos Digitales have shown their support for TEDIC and the journalist and have expressed their concern about the precedents that could leave this case.
Tag 1: Gender Issues
Tag 2: Freedom of Expression Online
Tag 3: Internet Governance
Interventions:
Since the format of the flash session focuses on the work of an organization, the speakers - members of TEDIC - will present the case throughout the time of the session. The presentation will be accompanied by a slideshow. If possible, we would like to open up some time for Q&A.
Diversity:
The session will be led by two women from TEDIC - Maricarmen Sequera and Jazmin Acuna - who will discuss the issue of gendered violence on the Web with a perspective from the global South. This means focusing on challenges of working with weak and often corrupt judiciaries, entrenched sexist values in society and government institutions and media outlets that perpetuate rape culture.
Onsite Moderator: Jazmín Acuna
Online Moderator: Luis Pablo Alonzo
Rapporteur: Luis Pablo Alonzo
Online Participation:
Due to the format of this session, online participation will be limited to sharing twits from the speakers‘ presentation.
Discussion facilitation:
Due to the format of the presentation, discussion beyond the speakers‘ presentations will be limited to a small session of Q&A, only if there is enough time for it.
Conducted a Workshop in IGF before?: No
Link to Report:
None
Agenda:-Brief presentation about TEDIC and the speakers
-Short Q&A with participants to introduce a case of gender violence in Paraguay: Participants will receive a paper with a general description of the case in which a journalist, who is a lesbian woman, had access to a group chat where a number of men discuss how to correct her sexual orientation by raping her. The goal of this exercise is to discuss the options available (or not) to the journalist in that particular instance.
-Presentation of the case where a judge censored TEDIC and the journalist for making public the chat conversation and calling it an issue of gender violence: a reflection on the limits of privacy, freedom of expression and public interest.
-Strategies applied to address the case: litigation, media campaign, grassroots organizing
-Short Q&A
