Book “Mapping challenges to peace in the digital age: A focus on Gender Based-Violence”
The Global System has no order in the digital sphere. There is no global governance in the virtual and digital domains. This affects the possibilities of building a better and fairer world. In parallel, intolerance, hate speech and cybercrime are increasing. Social control through the use of data is generating undemocratic tendencies. And data mining makes it feasible to use the resources to promote fake news, propaganda.
The distortions of this lack of governance generate a “new type of virtual violence” that particularly affects women. This violence quickly transforms into real violence expressed in femicides, assaults, various forms of harassment, facilitation of trafficking, among others.
Technology in the 21st Century can positively contribute to the promotion of tolerance and peaceful coexistence among all human beings, particularly to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
The main actors within the International System have failed to establish a new equilibrium, which increases the dangers of global conflicts, systemic crises, and those linked to the protection of the planet. Global dangers are increasing, and with them, so is a lack of governance. Only international cooperation, along with education & justice, will enable us to
find the way to lasting solutions.
The resurgence of conflicts can be seen at all levels. Tensions between the superpowers are on the rise. Issues related to nuclear conflicts have returned to the top of the international
agenda. The same of militarization of the space, trade conflicts, technological competition and cultural tensions.
Nowadays, the old asymmetric conflicts have taken on a new form with more serious consequences for the civilian population, particularly for the most vulnerable sectors (children, women). These are the so-called hybrid wars. That is, traditional wars in which the actions of irregular forces, organized crime, and even terrorist forces are superimposed. These wars destroy democracies. Creates greatest number of victims and refugees, human rights violations. In this warsthe use of virtual ataccs are increasingly.
New threats and major dangers require new policies and actions by international actors. Political will is weak. The capacity to build global governance is limited, and multilateral diplomacy is currently experiencing a high level of weakness. This affects Agenda 2030. Substantive action is required to prevent conflict. Urgent measures are imperative to address preventive and early warning conflicts and post-conflict situations. The use of digital platforms
is essential.
At University for Peace (UPEACE), we believe that new technological developments present opportunities to contribute to gender equality and peacebuilding globally. Nonetheless, current uses of Information and Communication Technologies and Internet-based platforms force us to analyse new forms of gender-based violence that impede us from achieving SDG 5. For that reason, UPEACE has decided to publish a book to map and consider some of the most relevant issues regarding gender-based violence in the digital age. Thus, UPEACE will invite authors to contribute articles on one of the following topics:
- Online harassment: victims, perpetrators, and its impact on peacebuilding
- Revenge porn, deep fakes, and the challenges to protect victims
- Micromachismo: the coexistence of online and offline attitudes that demonstrate structural challenges to achieve gender equality
- Dating Online: apps development, risks, and opportunities
- Child Porn: girls as victims of organized crime and human trafficking
- The role of technology developers in creating online platforms that contribute to gender equality
- Legal approaches to online gender-based violence: case studies, jurisprudence, and new trends
- The role of civil society in decreasing online gender-based violence
- The role of social media in the prevention of online gender-based violence and the diminishment of its effects
- Challenges faced by the United Nations for the prevention of gender-based violence and the achievement of SDG 5
Timeline for the publication:
• Call for papers: 17 January 2022
• Deadline to submit a short abstract (max. 500 words): 31 January 2022
• Notification of selection: 04 February 2022
• Deadline to submit articles: 28 February 2022
• Publication E-book: March 2022
• Publication printed version: April 2022
Submissions guidelines:
• Citation style: in-text APA format
• Format: Verdana, 12, single space, American English
• Extension: 10-15 pages
• Submit to Dr. Mariateresa Garrido at [email protected]
