The Role of Access to Digital Technology in Building Women's Resilience
Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening. To one and all present here I'm Srruthi Lekha Raja Elango, youth, focal point of Rd. You and women your host for today on the on behalf of the Wrd team at UN. Women and the Wild Yp. Network. I warmly welcome you all to this event.
The role of access to digital technology in building women's resilience. Young women's and girls resilience to disasters, as we all know, back in March the twentieth 22, the UN. Secretary General at Antonio Guterres, announced that the United Nations would spearhead new actions to ensure that every person on earth is protected by early warnings. Systems within 5 years, the resulting early warnings for all executive action plan from 2,023 to 2027 called for an advocate for adequate framework, to integrate a gender responsive gender perspective in technological evolution to address the negative impacts of new technologies on women, and girls, and to ensure that technology and innovation advance gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls across all other sectors.
Indeed, access to technology can help to more easily evaluate and collect data on the impact. In this situations of gender risks and interests, it can also be instrumental in raising awareness and building women's knowledge on disaster, risk, reduction, as we will see in one of the presentations by our speakers today, access to digital technology. Also has the potential to provide safety and coping mechanisms, especially for women, young women and girls. Against gender-based violence during disasters, however, we recognize that the opportunities of the digital revolution also present a risk of perpetuating existing patterns of gender equality is specialcially when women are left behind as a result of this digital gender divide the need for inclusive and transformative technology and digital education is therefore crucial for a sustainable future, particularly for young women and girls.
UN women's global disaster risk reduction team and the youth leaders and young professionals network are delivered to welcome you to this discussion. In this 1 h event we encourage everyone to share your voices and experience with digital technology particularly challenges that young women and girls continue to face in terms of these. And how these can help advance women's young women's and girls resilience to disastrous. On this note I warmly welcome Miss Chair and Jafarova, the Secretary of Youth, non-alignment movement, organizations to deliver the keynote message.
Miss Jefferova was the head organizer of the first full-fledged youth. Summit of the non-alignment movement in its history, with the participation of youth from 16 Member States she has LED multiple youth organizations advocating for intercultural dialogue and social entrepreneurship Miss Jefferova also has served as a head of the sector of work with students and student clubs at the Azerbaijan student youth organizations, Union. For one year, Jerome, the floor is yours. Thank you very much, through the, for your wall welcomes.
It's my pleasure to have the chance to address to the audience today on this term as in my capacity as a head of secretary out of use, organizations of the known aligned movement. So it's actually I'm joining from Aszerbaijan Baku. It's evening here, as you as mentioned, maybe 4 some. It's morning for some. It's afternoon, and indeed, this time difference isn't a matter to have an effect on how you are going to enjoy this meeting. This discussions, for example, for some it's just early morning they're fresh minds for some. It's the middle of the work, you know, somehow tired, but some for some such as me.
It's the end of the working day, so I know it's will be a little bit hard. So why, I'm talking about this is that even the time difference isn't, although we all are here today at the same meeting. But this time difference is actually the difference that makes us enjoy the meeting in a different way.
So the world is full of people, and each of us do possess different features, different needs, and this differences actually makes the world way more beautiful to enjoy. But also this differences makes the policy makers job bit harder, because, you know, addressing the needs of each and every person is a little bit challenging and time consuming. So that's why, usually what's supposed to make us do they like categorizing? They categorize people into some groups, such as women and men, specific policies that to women specific policies address to man or some subcategories such as I don't know, meeting. Come women, or I don't know middle-aged women, and etc. But while addressing to that, you know, to this general categories, we may unfortunately ignore some of the specifications that each and every person possesses, and that's why usually these policies fail in the long term they are not that sustainable. So what I'm leading into is actually let me bring an example to make it more clear.
For example, 2 other buy Jannie. Let's say, girls, there're studying in Uk. One was born and raised in Ukraine, the other was born and raised in Azerbaijan. Just she is here to study in this university. Would it be okay to address exactly same policies to these 2 girls just because they belong to? They are as Advis. Johnny definitely. Not one was born in individual sick, at least society, the other in Collectivist.
So the way even English, that they use. They perceive. Do you understand? Is to's totally different. That means their needs are totally different. So I don't know whether the audience, familiar with the concept of intersectionality, if they are not I strongly recommend you to get familiarize also read Patricia Hill. If you have any time, so watch you, explains that, let's say, women who is living in urban area.
And women who is living in urban area and is pregnant are not, should not be put in the same category. You know you cannot address the same policy. If one policy general policy for women living in urban area will meet ones needs, it will not be okay for pregnant women. Also. So you should consider those differences in each and every policy of yours. Unfortunately, in today's world, not all people have the same conditions. I mean environment that they can develop. For example, in this societies, where there is a strong patriarchal values, the there are women who are not even LED to learn how to swim, how to climb.
Let's say right. So. And if there is a disaster happening such as tsunami right, who will be more likely to survive the man who has already been taught how to swim half to climb, or women who never given a chance and access for those skills to be learned of course man who can't swim who can climb off. So that's this, differences actually matters and actually just applies why, today, women are 14 times more likely than man to die as a result of some disasters, some oh, it's quakes or tsunami or tephone that are happening all around the globe though. it's great. It's correct that we cannot unfortunately overcome the realities that these disasters may anyways happen. But this technology, their innovations that we have in our hand, that we have accepted are great way for us to be able to predict for post disaster, terms for rehabilitation.
They do help us. But the women who have, you know, great skills of organizing, of lobbying, of informing. You know it's in the nature they are not giving a chance in some ways, to have an access to those. Those is actually what matters in this world. So that's the actually, the reality is that I wanted to take your attention to. So as namus organization, it's really, you know, we are proud that today we have a possibility to address women. Those are in need. And it's actually one of the 2 big.
Let's say, priorities of ours. One gender equality and another being a climate in our all events, that we do organize. And it's great to announce that, like some of the members, some of the leaders of the national chapters all around the non-align movement states that we do have. Let's say they do have women leaders who are validated, who have well access into technology, and they are promoting dose values amount their peers all around the you know, some African countries, you know, they're usually considered as a developing etc. So what I wanna conclude this address of mine is that the women have a great, actually possibilities in access and letting women to have an access to isolated means investing and sustainable disaster, resilient communities where both men and women are equally empowerered tribute, and informed and dignified future for Nada's, for all of us, for the future.
Thank you for listening. I hope that I could have. Let's say, make you help to give some insight into some interesting concepts from our point of view, and have a voice to talk in on behalf of the non-aligned Member States. Yes, thank you for listening. Thank you. Thank you so much, Geron, for sharing your valuable inputs on the inequality and differences in differences itself. And how it's impacts. Women and girls very differently, and how it, how important it is for policymakers to consider these inequalities in inequalities while preparing and building resilience to disasters so thank you very much. Thank you. Now I take the pleasure to invite Miss Devon Zingler co-chair of Ngo, Csw. New York's youth leader and young professionals, who is representing, while Yp.
Here today to share a few words on the leadership role and engagement of while Yp, using technology as a means to building youths, resilience against disasters and conflicts. Thanks so much. Rutti and all of the other organizers, and everyone on the call. Yeah. So I'm one of 3 co-chairs of the yps. Most of you probably know me already. Sorry about my cat. Yeah, so yeah, so as the you know, we are a network and a community of young people who are, you know, passionate about gender equality.
And specifically, you know, at the UN. And in that UN space. And so naturally we. We know that the there's a necessity of connecting youth networks and youth leaders to to the Csw. Process, but also, you know, gender equality processes, you know, in in the within the UN system, but also outside of the U system globally, regionally, nationally, locally, community based, you know, it's really essential to represent the goals and the ideas and the expertise of younger generations, and engaging with those their needs and their concerns, including, you know, in the issue of gender equality and women's rights, but also in all of the other topics and issues that intersect with that you know, obviously we're in this meeting talking about the intersection of gender and technology and disasters. So you know there's all of these intersections with all of these different things, and you know we can't silo these issues. They're all really interconnected. So, yeah, and I think it's almost kind of obvious how you know this theme of disaster, risk reduction, and resilience and technology is especially important for youth and youth leaders, because not only are we inheriting, you know, this Earth
but also, you know, we all do have, you know, great ideas and and expertise to contribute. And yeah, like, specifically with the disaster risk reduction in the technology. Like we are inheriting this earth that's increasingly one relying on technology and digital technology.
And that does still have such a big, you know gap with access to technology. You know the digital gender divide, but also within, you know, the different communities and places around the world. And also obviously, climate crisis and disasters are rapidly increasing, and younger generations are the ones who are going to have to deal with that. Okay. Yeah. So we really are the ones who, you know, have to take this on and yeah, so that's why it's so important that like, we need to be in the decision making processes.
And we need to be able to share our expertise because we do have expertise as young people. Yeah, so I'll leave it at that. Thank you so much. And I'm looking forward to hearing all the other speakers. Thank you. Thank you so much, Devin, for your remarks. And that's a strong activist, wise and for the leadership you and your team.
That's why we have been taking to build capacity and empower women and girls in many ways. So thank you very much. Now our next speaker will deep dive into data collection through the use of technology and from of digital rights for women for Drr. And the inequalities. Please allow me to introduce to you all Miss Louisa Franco Machado, who is a feminist data economist in Berlin, Germany, and is an international activist for digital rights and data justice. She's among then 17 new young leaders for sustainable Development goals recognized by the United Nations at age 24. She holds a master of public admission from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a master's in new technologies and public policy from Censo, Barry. Her research is focused on the connection between technology feminism, socioeconomic development.
They have previously been very, very, very, very, very inculcative, and has contributed to her work at the UN. Oecd, the French Government and the city councils, Louisa the Flores. Hi, Strutti, thank you so much for this introduction. Hi! Everyone who's here! It's really a pleasure to be in this conference, and I think this topic really speaks closely to my heart.
So yeah, let's, you know, dig right into it. So my research is a lot about digitalization. Thatification and the impacts this has on vulnerable populations. But what does that mean? What does that mean? And I see that a lot of people that are either involved in digital don't know much about feminism and people that are in feminism don't know a lot about digital some kind of trying to like you know bridge this gap so hopefully, this is gonna be useful. So when we talk about digitalization and verification, we see that they really have appeared, you know, to humanitarian emergencies management as really an innovative solution to you know, some of the main constraints of the sector, especially when you talk about for example disaster risk with disaster, risk reduction. Sorry guys, simple water. So, for example, some of the, you know, main constraints of the sector, like delivery, you know, upscaling delivery. How do we do that improving data collection and analysis? How do we understand who we need to help? And when even things like biomatic verification for giving, you know humanitarian aid, so on and so on.
So this has LED to the emergence of a new type of you know, humanitarianism that we call digital humanitarianism. So it's true digital technologies. They can deliver relief and humanitarian emergencies. And they really do so in most often, you know, a quick and really cost, effective manner and innovation can really support in the different phases of you know, humanitarian action. But it's also true that the increasing use of you know this often unregulated digital technology incrementarian management. This is not been, you know, free of controversies, and actually can cause quite a lot of harm because of I don't know. Like the pervasive nature of a lot of these technologies, risk of surveillance concerns over data, privacy, consequences of algorithmic bias in our artificial intelligence.
You know, we can go on and on, but today I'm really gonna focus on data collection and how this ends up impacting everything else that comes further. So you know, as we have heard in the introduction of this conference, which is very well said, that you know any sort of you know I don't know interaction. On society doesn't happen equally to everyone. And this is why it's real important to talk about what we call intersectionality. Right? So it's really about to give a really brief explanation. Is about how intersecting characteristics, like gender, ethnicity, race socioeconomic status, sexuality, etc. They play a role on how different groups are implemented by disaster.
For example, and what we have seen is that technological interventions they can both help with this and also potentially cause deeper harm through. You know the I don't know a VoIP of intersectionality in a lot of projects. So, yeah, that's why it's really important to understand that to build the so called, you know, advanced base policies that we like to talk about a lot.
So, yeah, so if I bring in an intersection of feminist labs to humanitarianism, and especially, you know, digital humanitarianism, we understand how capacities and vulnerabilities that are ascribed to women and other gender minorities, they they really impact the way that we need to talk generation gender responsiveness and disaster and we see that a lot of you know institutions they still follow some sort of gender blind approach to humanitarian action and not a lot of attention actually is given to understanding really the norms that dictate the gender dynamics and emergencies. And while this, with the lack of really any buying international law, we little like regulating the development and the employment of technologies, it really creates potentially dangerous situation where we're you know, interacting with vulnerable groups and we're potentially calling more harm to them. But okay, so now we understand what's you know, digital humanitarianism. We understand it, intersectionality. How can we then, make this? You know, combine? How can we what should we do? What's the issue, and how we can solve it? With a lot of you know we we don't know how to solve it, but we can explore how to do it.
So you know, if we analyze data. So we're gonna talk about data systems. And we analyze the system that are prevailing in digital humanitarianism through an intersectional lens. It's, you know, we can really see how apparently neutral bureaucratic processes, like data collection, cleaning and analysis of data. They really redistribute violence across populations. So first, example, sex is aggregated. Data. This is something that has been really pushed. As you know, this solution to I don't know like it gender-onsive approach to disaster. But what about gender? Nonsenforming people, you know, like, if we're talking about just sex data, or even gender data that follow this kind of like gender binary then we're kind of like back to the beginning right? And we're kind of like back to the beginning right? And we're reinforcing oppression. And I mean, for example, even the topic of this conference and to the beginning, right? And we're reinforcing oppression. And I mean, for example, even the topic of this conference, you know, when we talk about like women or young women and girls so what happens to you know the are the other marginalized gender groups.
And that's that's something. I see a lot in my work, and that I have to fight a lot, you know, because this is really something that is not very widespread but even talking about okay, if we're gonna focus on women thinking about talking about things like digital. Mapping, right? So collecting different data points from, you know to from a population to form a picture, a map of needs or other things. This is very common in disaster, risk, reduction, projects, and understanding and intersectional lens. You can also understand how this actually could amplify targeted exclusions and power assetries, because we know that I don't know.
A lot of this is done through crowdsourcing right. So data crowdsourcing so basically phone data, you know, on the map, where are you like here? Your phone describes where you are. Okay. So then, systems understand that there's a need of, you know, Aids, there. But we also know that women and vulnerable groups, the intersection of those they are less prone to have. The cell phone. So how does this impact? How we know how we understand where the need is going to have the cell phone. So how does this impact? How we know how we understand where the need is and how this also creates this in literature call digital sub-turns so really someone that's producing data or not, and they don't really own or understand the effects of this data on that. Okay, I have to be quick, because my time is it's becoming shorter and shorter.
But okay, we understand that this is all a problem. We understand that this aggregating data isn't important. But it's not enough. So whether we do it really means that we really have to try to avoid, not avoid. We have to combine quantitative data that you know, it's like the zeros and one and like the multiple option on of the service. And I, it's, etc., but also do a really qualitative analysis of what's happening in the location in you know them.
The structures in the environments that disasters are happening to really understand the needs. So what to do? That's the last part of my intervention. I've promised when talking about policy, right? I work a lot with policy, and I hear a lot, you know that it's we really have to acknowledge the risk posts by big data. It's true we do. But how can we go further? So we acknowledge we are not. There is a risk. There are also a lot of benefits. So how do we tackle this right?
So we have to I don't know. We have to leverage the very existent and growing numbers of like frameworks for the responsible use of technology with vulnerable populations, but really enforce them and put them in place as a safeguard, and not just something that it would be good if you followed. So I think that this is really something that for me is like super super important. Have intersectionality as one of the main pillars of any action.
Also to have a more accurate response, right in direct action, and I don't know, especially when it comes to gender and intersection, intersecting characters. We have to. I don't know. We don't have to be afraid of using the term feminist, you know, because I feel like this usually generates a lot of public backlash and but it's still, you know, Rio Chene is really only possible. If we stop circumventing, sensitive topics like gender equality for the sake of I don't know.
Some suppose impression. So, yeah. And the of course, to finish, and something that I talked in the beginning as well, like really trying to fight the gender biin in our organizations and the solutions with develop because otherwise we might really force oppression and then all of the work that we have done they it's just kind. Of like useless or not useless, but it's creating more and more oppression that we're trying to fight. So it's like trying to put water in a glass. That's kind of like leaking. So, yeah, that's kind of like the very, very short summary of like my research, my work and everything I've done during the past year. So I hope that's helpful.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Louisa, for your valuable inputs, and especially how digital humanitarian and access to digital technology itself, especially during disasters for different groups and different intersectionality is not often mainstreamed especially for the inclusion of women and girls and other marginalized groups. You're insights on its urgent need in urgent need, and details are very, very valuable. So thank you so much. We have now heard some examples and experiences that women, particularly youth, have engaged in disaster, risk, reduction, and resilience through the use of technology. Now an immense pleasure in welcoming Maria Composana, Paris from our women's resilience to disasters program team at Geneva to introduce to you all one of the key tools of you and women's women's resilience to disasters or wrd program which is the Wrd knowledge. Hub, Maria, the floor is yours. Thank you, Shetty. I'm not gonna share my screen. I'll say you. I can walk you all through the hub, so I believe that the link is on the chat, so you can also have a look.
Can you all see my screen? Okay, great. So this is the Women's residency disasters knowledge. Hub! I'm gonna give you a bit of background of how it came to be so until very recently the information and gender responsive disaster risk production was spread out and pressed platforms programs. Different stakeholders, and that has meant that critical gaps. Have we been like have emerged not only in our understanding of the gender dimensions of this aspect, but also in the like.
The possibilities and the potentials that exist for enabling gender responsive Disaster Service production services I mean, it is in this space that obviously information on technology is very cuual. So the hub is the first of it's fine. It brings together over 1,600 resources. In this one stop shop the Amsterdam address, those nodes, gaps.
It places women's leadership center stage and consolidates access to critical information that service may readily available for everyone. And so it brings key the self service reduction on gender actors. But if you make it, I'm practitioners at national, local, local, national, regional and global levels. And it shares not research and expertise and I'm gonna now walk you through some key highlights that I would like to feature today.
So this is the homepage, and there's also the explorer. Practice engage sections. So in the explorer section we have some insights from experts. I'm from women. And so some I love. These women are part of women's organizations across the country that the program existing, and we also have the library that you can filter out publication frameworks. And this is where all the 1,600 resources are found. Then there's a policy tracker. Which I really like, because it identifies gender responsive laws and policies across countries and across the regions. And in I don't identify the inclusion of the 7 High risk groups identify in the Sunday framework for disaster surface reduction as well as Lgbtq.
It, plus groups that are not part of the framework, but we also include in this place tracker, then, in the practice section we have a toolbox that has guidance and training and advocacy materials that you can filter out and also have a look at the umwrd topics there's 18 of them, so you can. With this in your own time, and then in the engaged side, we have a community of practice for to maximize knowledge sharing, we also have an expert register with experts, from and specialized in all regions in the world. And then there's also an events register which includes this event. But there's also lots of others. If you wanna export that on your own.
And so this ambitious interlinkage has meant that the hub has a huge potential to support women and girls accessing information and technology to build their resilience and to reduce their vulnerabilities. So this is part of you and women's signature initiative. The women's, and as such that Hub can help advocate unsupport women being actively engaged in the design, implementation, and use of disaster, resurrection technologies, like the other speakers, have mentioned so it's ultimately that programs thrust that they are efforts are more effective when they're accessible and when they're inclusive, because they address everyone. And as such we, the Wrd. Team, is working to make this hub more accessible and better used in smartphones, and then I just wanna say here that the access to information on technology is essential to enhance women's agency and potentials in this this goes beyond that traditional vulnerability, helpless victim of framing of women. I'm the International Telecommunications Union has a great report that shows that women accessing accurate information not only affects their own survival, but also that of their communities.
And this history, not just. For after a disaster happens, but also for, like equal access to early warning information and their leadership in early warning communication is crucial for improved early preparation and waste production for everyone in the community. I'm sorry. The hub really just wants to highlight and bring to the forefront women's leadership. That is there, but it seems to exist on the sidelines, and we wanna change that. And the hub. It's a huge tool to change that and bring it to the forefront of conversations on decision making spaces at the bigger level.
Yeah, this is the underway. Thank you. Thank you so much, Maria, for showing us the women's resilience to disasters, knowledge, Hub, and it's useful features, as a young woman myself, I find that the hub has many useful publications and tools that I can use to educate myself on disaster risk reduction and see how it can be used as a mobilizing agent, and tool to be more involved as youth in the Rr.
Processes and structures. So thank you so much. I now think all the speakers again, for all your valuable inputs. As mentioned earlier. This event is a youth LED space, aiming to engage with young people and mobilize the youth on our topic of discussion. With that in mind we now invite you all to join in an indoive activity through a digital tool called padlet, which I am sure most of you might have used. Possibly where we have a few questions we would like for you to share your thoughts on our colleagues now have shared a link to the padlip and the chat box, or you can see it quickly.
Please click the link, and it will take you to the padlet for each question. If you click on the plus button below each of the section, each of the question will allow you to place your answers and input and inputs under the corresponding question. So please feel free to answer as many as questions you would like, and you as many as questions you would like, and please also add your name at the end at the last question as we will not have enough time to discuss each of the responses it will be. Really nice if you can also continue to contribute the responses as much as you can, so I will also. Yes, so the link is shared on the chat. Okay, one moment.
Hello! Great. So I see one answer saying, What are the key contributions that young women and girls could make in terms of investing women's resilience to the disasters the inputs are great innovation and connection and creativity. I think it's really important to be creative, to be creative, to solutions.
As our first speaker also mentioned the differences and differences itself. So very, very good. Thank you. And yes, what do we need to advance and put in place to protect youth from abusing violence? Why using technology and disaster risk reduction, the one of the responses visibility through technology from major ecosystems at local and national government levels. That's very, very important. The visibility and the access and the equal access to women and girls, and also of other marginized groups. Yes, financial obstacles to technologies getting education and proactive engagement through digital media could be a very, very strong contribution.
Yes, thank you so much like we're funding a very, very huge issue, especially costs due to several inequalities itself. Yes, I think it's very, very important that we make technology accessible to rural girls and women who should and who could equally participate to. I think there's they. This is also one of our teams. The review teams of our Csw. This year. So, and in yes.
Yes, I can see that one of the obstacles that one of our participants have mentioned is just not being seen, and not being valued into decision, making. I think that's a big, big problem. I think the under and the underestimation of someone's input of the input of women and girls, the input of marginalized groups. I think this is a very that problem, and especially young people also do face this problem in decision making. So thank you so much. Yes, personal preparedness and health. Thank you.
And if you move down to the last question, you also have an interesting option to join the. You can answer to that too. So thank you so much for that. Yes, great. So we have. Thank you so much, so you can please keep adding to this pad, let it will be active for a while. So if you still have an inputs, please continue to do so. So thank you so much.
Thank you so it will be available to tomorrow. 10 A. M. Geneva time, in case you still have so many inputs to add where you're there more than welcome to add this to which will help us build a better agenda and mobilize youths for women's resilience to disaster and to contribute to the csw discussions too. So thank you so much, now let us take a few minutes to engage with our speakers through a question and answer. Session. You are all welcome to ask questions, or share thoughts and comments to our speakers.
Now by raising your hands, using the raise hand function, or if you share also, put in your comments and questions in the chat box, and I shall call your name to unmute and speak, or you could simply write down the comment or question in the chat box we have the floor open now for question and answers to our speakers today. Yes, so we have one participant, Mary. Marvelous! Hi! Everyone. Okay? So my question goes to Louisa.
My name is I'm based now in Oklahoma, but I'm from Cameroon. I'm a seniors, and I really worked so much, especially in advancing the advocating for the rights of women within the context of the ongoing and gloom phone crisis. So I just wish to ask Louisa, during a presentation you mentioned how, probably in data collection during disasters, you know, women who, for example, have phone cell phones can easily beg identified.
And now the the big question is for example, in very rural areas where you know, women don't have access to mobile phones. What strategies have been put in place to ensure that there could be a way to identify the women and girls that are in that disaster scenario, and then easily reach out to to help them. I mean people who are really rural areas that couldn't really can really not have a means to get people out there know that they exist.
And there is no technology that is there to assist them. So what strategies exist now that could really, you know, be of support to such such women and girls? Thank you. I don't know if I can already answer or should be, Yeah, okay. So. Yes, Mary, thank you so much for your question. I mean totally. Yes, please.
It's really something that I also, you know, highlighted the fact that we tend to you know, rely on these crowdsources, crowdsourced data right? So from the cell phone, and then what happens to those who don't have access to the phone right? So then we have, like some sort of like analysis that is not true or not completely accurate. Right? So what we would usually, you know, I don't know. Approach is then try to combine both technological solutions with like more analog solutions. Right?
So really trying to go in the field and identifying, for example, like community leaders that know where you know. Like most of the designers, happen, or there are some areas in the I don't know in the city or in the village that always I don't know Flood, you know. They are always like fled. So these are really the local populations that know. And really to get to this information, you have to make this extra effort that unfortunately, in a lot of organizations, it's not possible, because of financial reasons, because I'm it's like too expensive to reach all of these like small villages, right? So then what do we do? I think it's like each organisation, then comes up with their own strategy, right? So I would assume that it would be most important to really combine. So we get mobile data. But we also talk to community leaders. And we also get satellite data. Right? That's come like with the satellite, and also understand how the the population is divided.
I don't know understanding other types of data like agriculture data to understand also, perhaps if there is a part of the land that is more susceptible to certain, you know, influences, etc. So it's really supposed to be a combined factor, you know, a combined combined actions that then would direct the the responses. But I don't know if anyone else wants to come. Compliment that that would be my. Thank you. Thank you so much, Louisa. Anybody else would like to add to the question. I also see that there is another interested participant race raising hand, and then we will come back to the question in the chat. Sarah.
Thank you, sir. Rooty Suti, I'm an economist based in South Africa pants, is just a comment for for reflections. We're talking about environmental disasters and man-made disasters, such as civil warars. Right, quite often during civil conflicts, the people that are violable, who majority young women and children, they may not have access to cellular technology or the insurgent groups could have confiscated such important tools. For raising awareness about the applied, and, you know, talking of the context of Congo which has had this ongoing war around minimums where millions of women have been and violated sexually.
And how can this technology hopefully, something in the sky or something in the atmosphere, can be you know, innovated by the young people to be the tool? Because now we know for the fact, this was a here and beyond being man-made, we currently have floods, and the hurricane going on in New Zealand, and here in South Africa is similar. You know a situation of hash rainfall conditions and an earthquake in 2 of the countries. In Turkey, and you know Syria, how these technologies can also project and assist in mitigating. For example, if the technology was correct in reading the climate it could have alleged that you know the civilians to escape, but it looks like somehow the young people will help us in bringing their solutions, and but also in terms of the ongoing conflicts which are man-made. What we know is that this mineral that enables us to connect here called content. Or cobalt is only mind in Congo, and it has sustained this war for over years. Now, how can young people currently in this place and beyond, continue to mobilize, use mobile technology to advocate and raise awareness? And on the plight of the off of the vulnerable.
Perhaps last access to these technologies required energy requires energy, either and engineer 2 for safety or renewable energy. I see that most countries are backward, because without the energy, the renewable energy to connect these gargants, then that does not allow us to connect in this way what is the thinking around that? Thank you so much it's a beautiful space. I appreciate. And these are just food photots. I don't need a answers, for now. But I'll leave my email address, and my name is easily Google. Thank you. Thank you so much. I think these are very, very important.
Talk, and I think it's also trying to see what kind of intersection disasters have with conflicts, and also how how it is difficult to provide women's resilience to disasters in such conflict situations which provides a further major obstacle so thank you so much. Thank you very much, and I would like to now invite Connie Davis. Yes. Hello, everyone. Thank you for the amazing presentation and discussion today. I think, the main question I have is probably for Luisa.
What efforts are really needed to ensure that the frameworks around digital humanitarianism trickled down into corporate investment, and what kind of work is going on? And how do we get involved? As you know, local state, you know, major technology aggregators to help propel that work forward for these frameworks that are being set? Can you talk a little bit about that? Sure. Yes, thank you so much for your question, and I think that definitely. It's something else I've thought a lot about, too. So, yeah, how do we take? You know all this theory? And you know, put it into action so it can have an actual yeah effect into vulnerable populations. I think it's you know there's never just an easy answer right? Unfortunately, a lot of these discussions are also pulled so you know, there's a technical framework.
But the decision on whether these frameworks will be implemented or not is political right? So I think this is something that's really important to keep in mind and then, if you're inside an organization and I can speak from experience. I think that it's really important, at least, for now it's important to, you know, for all of us who are in this field working in this field or activists, or just people who care basically, to also be informed. And push that agenda through, you know I am always trying to talk to you. Know my supervisors, or my colleagues, and kind of like, bring in this discussion, because if I don't do, maybe August won't do it either, you know, so I think it's like something that's super hard. And there's no right answer. But the frameworks exist, and I think that it's also yeah. It's kind of like. Unfortunately, our goal, I guess, like, our yeah, need to be informed about them.
Push for them, raise awareness on that. I don't know. Talk to your colleagues, especially if you're live or work in disasters as regions, or live there. So also kind of like push for that into. I don't know. Talk to your colleagues, especially if you live or work in disasters, regions, or if live there. So also kind of like push for that into. I don't know your councils.
I've worked also like on city councils and on national governments. This is really something. Sometimes, actually, people don't implement them because they just don't know they exist like. Unfortunately, this is super common. You know that people just don't know what to do. They don't know that framework, success, and you just have to like, you know.
Show them. And then suddenly everything changes. So I think, you know there's not one answer. It's really many things. So yeah, really, about educating ourselves and educating the others. I would say.
Thank you. Thank you, Steve. Yes, I think that's a big knowledge gap, and I'm sure at this state. And this is where tools like our Wrd knowledge hub can play a huge impact as it is designed for policymakers, for activists, for institutions. I think the institutional impact, the institutional activism is also very, very important for women's resilience to disaster, because I think it's a huge responsibility beyond simply a social structure. So thank you so much. Now we have 2 more interested participants. Hello! Am I audible? Yes, you are.
Yeah, I would like to aid in previous question. We're one of participants. Ask that in rural communities, especially where girls, women don't have access to mobile phones, Internet. So how do we like? What strategies we used to in order to bring them into like circle? Or bringing them into that group at our level. So what being from myself, from a rural village over what we did is we establish in a rural, innovation lab with the support of other organizations, where where we it LED the lab connects like 4 to 5 different rural villages, where we brought young
girls, women in order to engage them about technical, about innovation, about educate them. About digital development about the digital divide. We organize number of digital literacy camps for rural children. So this I think this like one of the example literacy, came for rural children. And so this I think this like one of example, that how we can educate and connect rural communities rural women. So I just wanted to add that thank you. Thank you. Thank you, miss, that maybe I can direct to this comment into a question also, to which is also mentioned to our speaker, Jayon.
How do you see that youth networks, especially in such a different different communities in different inequalities? But how do you do you see that they can still particularly young women, be involved in building women's resilience to disasters? And how do you think involvement of tennis can help them that are mobilized? Thank you. Thank you very much. Actually, I really much enjoyed the conversation. They came, and a session that is going on right now. It's very interesting to begin to this. So coming to our field, and the way that we work and what to do.
To your question. So, firstly, I have to say that the region that I am in also the region that the the special, the people that I'm working with I don't very much, very often hear the concept of today's issue, that women's resilient to disaster and the role of technology in it to be hot topic of discussion. Unfortunately, I don't usually hear this, so the first action of ours is to by holding such events. Such informative events in different parts of the world, among different, you know communities in order to raise the awareness about this issue as Louisa rightly mentioned, that sometimes people are not aware of the framework that exist.
You know this is exactly one of the issues that concern Mill, that sometimes people who do not know that such concept actually is studied. Such concepts actually exist, and people are keen to have an input into this so the first job of ours, and especially as the user organization use network to raise the awareness among the use that are around us. And also the use in different national chapters of ours to have this topic into a discussion, so that people are aware of it. So people may get, be interested into this and to to having such an action into this. So actually, yes, is correctly put into question that technology has a great, you know, tool on this like cause technology through technology, you have very much good access to knowledge, to information.
And the girls, the women who have some constraints at least, if they have access to technology, they may get the information. If they are not, let's say let to leave the home with the Internet, they can get some information to build theirs themselves, to develop their knowledge on some issues. So that's why very much agree that the d role of technology and this is very essential also in terms of raising awareness.
Among the use. Also, you know, you cannot reach each and every person on earth right? But through your technology you can educate them. You can raise the awareness. So from this direction I very much would love to and from this meeting on I had a chance to know the people who are expertise in this, and who are interested in this, and I, taking this opportunity, I would love to invite you all to in the proceeding meetings that in our capacity will also like to organize, to involve the let's say some Africans, some ourselves, and Americans themselves. This Asian countries that use from this parts of the world into discussion of this issue. Thank you very much. Thank you so much. Iran. I think that's a great commitment and that's a great energy.
Thank you so much for your valuable insights as well to both, to all the speakers, and thank you so much. Everybody, and special thanks to all our participants who raised such meaningful questions and inputs. And we would keep going. But unfortunately we don't have much time to keep continuing so wonderful discussion. We will have more spaces. We promise to have more spaces to conclude. I now kindly welcome, Miss Kami Adams. It's we promised to have more spaces to conclude. I now kindly welcome Miss Kami. Adel.
Our program analyst for disaster, risk, reduction, and women's resilience to disasters at you and women to deliver some closing remarks. Can we please? Thank you. Susie. What an amazing discussion! And it was so wonderful to hear from so many people who came here and shared with us through this event. And today we've heard about the role of access to digital technology in building women's. Young women's and girls resilience to disaster and it was wonderful to hear such strong youth voices in this discussion. We began the event with Jaron's keynote speech, highlighting the importance of inving equally in women and girls, men and voice access to technology which was followed by Devin's discussion on the critical role.
That technology can play in engaging youth and youth leaders in policy, advocacy and decision making efforts in Dr. Louisa emphasized the need to recognize intersectionalities and gender minorities that would be equally important, and reminded us that technologies are merely tools, not the end goal of our advocacy and Maria showed us one such tool which offers a lot of potential in engaging young women and young women leaders and girls in the Drr. Space and then we also see from our responses to the padlet, and even our discussions in the open Forum, that there remain some obstacles that young women girls face, and this digital this gender digital divide that could exacerbate existing inequalities and continue to hinder them from effectively participating in the leading urr initiatives or putting them at risk to possible gender based violence. So. Indeed, there is a lot of work that needs to be done. As Ruthie has mentioned, a lot more discussions and spaces that we need to open up, and then we look toward using our discussion today, at least to make sure that these information will be consolidated and reflected in the agreed conclusions that we will be trying to coming up with in the Csw. 67. On march with that, said on behalf of you and women's global disaster risk reduction team. And our friends from Yyp. We are mentally grateful for your time and your active participation in this event, and we look forward to keeping in touch and continuing to work with you to advance gender equality for women and girls worldwide.
Thank you. Keep sharing your contact details. It's always wonderful to network, as people have mentioned. Here we have to collaborate. And we have to do it more as we move forward. That said you and women. And while Yp. Will be sharing with you a short report on this event, summarizing our discussions here, our asks for Csw. 67 and moving forward. And we will also be posting this report and the recording of this event on our event page in the women's Facilities to disasters, knowledge, Hub, so I'll shortly share with you the link to that event. And yeah, so it's exciting to hear everyone.
And thank you once again back to you through. Thank you. Thank you so much. Camie. Thank you for such a wonderful closing remar. Thank you. Everybody. Once again, and before we close this discussion it's a wonderful opportunity to take a nice picture or a 2, or a few, and so let's use our digital skills to take some screenshots, as some pictures. Yes, so! It will be great if, as many of you comfortable can place, switch on your screens.
Okay, we will have 1 min giving time for people to get ready. Okay, great. That's 3, 2, one smile. Perfect. Maybe another 3, 2, one smile. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. Now I would like to shortly give the floor to Devon for some announcements. Thank you. Everybody. Thank you.
Thank you so much. Ricky and team. Yeah, just wanted to. Say again that this was such a great session. Thank you to the speakers, sing to the organizers. We do have a our next youth. Preparation series event next week. Next Wednesday, next week's event will be at 7 A. M. Eastern, so the time is a little bit different. I will put the registration link in the chat.
Here. Okay? And the session will be hosted by one of our partners. Me. Folly is the organization and the session itself will be it's titled building, a technology Friendly Society for Adolescents. So definitely. Don't miss that. But if you do as usual, we'll send the recording to our mailing list.
Same as we will for this session and post the recording on Youtube. So thank you all again, and we'll see you next week. Thank you. Everyone.
Thank you. Thank you. Hi! Thank you all the best for everyone. Thank you. Bye, bye! Hi! Thanks a lot. EverybodyThank you.
2023-02-21 21:32
