Be Net Positive
Summary
In 2024, Equality Now committed to launch an initiative to address toxic masculinity online that can lead to violent behavior and outline interventions to disrupt these pathways and counter tech-enabled gender-based violence by mid-2027. It will use its deep expertise in human rights law and intersectional-gendered legal analysis to develop a deep understanding of the pathways between misogyny and violent extremism, the ecosystem of social drivers, and the intersection between algorithmic-driven behavioral advertising and misogyny. Alongside partners including Christchurch Call Advisory Network, Women Leading in AI, and the Alliance for Universal Digital Rights, Equality Now will lead a collaborative process to engage actors from UN and regional bodies, governments, technology companies, lawyers, academia, and civil society to identify the changes needed in international, regional, and national legal systems; develop model laws and protocols; engage international and regional accountability mechanisms to promote legal reform; and support counternarratives to combat harmful online activity that threatens the real-world security of communities around the globe.
Approach
Equality Now seeks to kickstart an initiative to address toxic masculinity online.
Working with Christchurch Call Advisory Network (CCAN) , Women Leading in AI (WLiAI) and Alliance for Universal Digital Rights (AUDRi) , they will utilize their deep expertise in human rights law, intersectional-gendered legal analysis, convening power, and their knowledge and skills to develop a deep understanding of the pathways between misogyny and violent extremism, the ecosystem of social drivers, and the intersection between algorithmic-driven behavioral advertising and misogyny.
With this knowledge, they seek to disrupt these pathways. Their global team of human rights lawyers, coalition builders, and gender experts in 25 countries will lead a collaborative process to engage actors from UN and regional bodies, governments, tech companies, lawyers, academia, and civil society to identify the changes needed in international, regional and national legal systems; develop model laws and protocols; leverage their access and influence with international and regional accountability mechanisms to promote legal reform; and supporting counter-narratives to emerge in the ecosystem of social drivers and misinformation that feeds misogyny through advocacy and AI.
As a member of CCAN that seeks to address violent extremism, Equality Now will draw on the knowledge and reach of that community (including 130 member governments) to garner insights and support for effective legal responses to violent extremist content online that intersects with and fuels misogyny.
WLiAI’s 1500 member network will apply their extensive expertise, from working in AI in tech companies and governments, to how to use AI for good; technological and AI ethics and governance; women’s inclusion and influence in shaping our digital world; surfacing the risks and biases in AI technologies to be addressed; and advising on technical and policy solutions to mitigate such risks.
AUDRi will contribute their experience and track record of successfully advocating for gendering international governance responses to developments in the digital realm.
Action Plan
Understand & Learn Q1: Establish a calendar of speaking/influencing opportunities for Equality Now, AUDRi, WLiAI and CCANl to engage diverse audiences to generate understanding and advocate for legislation Q1-Q4: Research the scope and scale of the issues, the intersection between algorithmic-driven behavioral advertising and the polarization of young men into anti-feminist theories, pathways between misogyny and extremism and the mechanisms of dark and deep web in avoiding detection.
Q5: Launch the research (publications, events and webinars) Q5-6: Thought leadership events to share learning (e.g.UNGA,AU,WeProtect,IGF,RightsCon,tech summits) Q4-6: Generate 3 policy briefs, 3 fact sheets, 2 short films and media assets-share learning from the research Share Q1-Q8: 6 fellowships- Legal: Research harms and draft model laws; AI: AI solutions to address the issues it has itself contributed to.
Q5-Q6:Research into legal mechanisms that are fit for purpose in the multijurisdictional realm of the internet Q5: Hackathon with academics, AI experts, activists digital ethics experts and lawyers to explore possible legal, digital, tech policy responses
Q5-Q6: Convenings of lawyers to develop model laws and ideas for international jurisprudence
Q7-Q8: Production and publication of model laws
Q5-8: Publication of written, media and audio visual assets to 1) advocate for model laws, legal reforms and multi-jurisdictional responses 2) promote social reforms
Galvanize for Action Q1- Q8: High profile social-media/media strategy to track and continuously highlight the links between misogyny, extremism and violence against women and girls
Q4-6: Regional convenings with the AU, EU, OAS and others in Asia/MENA – How to influence the wider ecosystem of social drivers and misinformation leading to misogyny Q4: Hackathon with tech companies, governments and civil society to identify tech solutions to counter misogynist narratives and close down dangerous pathways (e.g. fembot army) Q4-8: Deliver counter narrative campaigns with partners
Background
There is an evolving understanding of the links between new technologies, AI algorithmic interventions, misogyny, and violent extremism.
The “success” of the web benefits from digital architecture that rewards polarization and division. Algorithmic-driven behavioral targeting plays a role in driving young men into pathways that lead to increasingly violent misogynistic behavior-becoming incels, trolling, and adopting dangerous conspiracy theories and ideologies. Further along that path, algorithmic connections made between misogyny and other forms of hate content (transphobia, homophobia, racism, Islamophobia, anti Semitism and beyond) can lead to engagement with violent extremist content, other violent extremists, and radicalization. The resultant intensification of hate not only leads to terror acts but also to increasing and new forms of violence against women and girls. For example, fake images, now so easily created through generative AI, circulate very fast to violate and silence the victim. This makes the internet a very dangerous place for women and girls, closes down their freedom to participate in both digital and physical realms, and can lead to violence offline.
The challenges are understanding the real scale of the issues, especially the intersection between algorithmic-driven behavioral advertising and the polarization of young men into anti-feminist theories; what legal tools can efficiently deal with these issues in the multijurisdictional realm of the internet, where those adept at using AI and the dark and deep web can avoid detection and the law; how to use AI for good in addressing the issues it has itself contributed to; how to influence the wider ecosystem of social drivers and misinformation that attracts young men into seeking validation through defining themselves as superior to others; and how to engage tech companies, governments, civil society, the UN, regional bodies, and criminal justice systems across the world in collectively countering hate narratives and closing down dangerous pathways.
Progress Update
Equality Now continues to advocate for greater accountability from governments and tech companies by highlighting the links between algorithm-driven behaviours and tech-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) globally. At the UN Commission on the Status of Women, Equality Now co-hosted events supported by Colombia, Brazil, France, Sweden, Romania, Australia, and Uruguay, urging governments to implement the Global Digital Compact, a key global digital governance framework. The organization provided expert input to UN Women’s upcoming supplement on TFGBV for its Handbook on Violence Against Women and participated in UNFPA’s Global TFGBV Symposium, where the role of AI and algorithms in driving abuse was a key focus. Additionally, Equality Now is supporting MESECVI in developing the OAS model law on TFGBV.
On growing partnerships, Equality Now engaged organizations such as the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and is a member of CCAN. A proposal will be submitted to the Bellagio Center Convening Program to convene global experts to draft model laws and regulations aimed at preventing algorithmic-driven behaviours, misogyny, and the resulting harms against women and girls.
Research is central. Equality Now examined sexual violence in the metaverse—an emerging domain for AI and algorithm-driven misogynistic behaviours. It also engaged postgraduate students from the London School of Economics and Political Science (via Practera) to research the manosphere’s growth and its influence on online discourse and real-world violence. The research explored how algorithms, influencer dynamics, and the misuse of AI to spread misogynistic ideologies, often aligning with anti-gender and far-right ideologies.
A proposed second phase will explore how platform business models undermine content moderation and enable the spread of misogynistic content. It will examine the amplification of this content amplified through algorithms and “dark patterns,” ultimately fuelling violence against women and girls. The desk research will be followed by in-depth research on legal and policy solutions.
Partnership Opportunities
Equality Now seeks increased sectoral participation from the tech and private sectors and financial partners to meet costs of the project as it expands.
In addition, they seek expanded engagement across the ecosystem: governments, lawyers, AI specialists, digital ethics specialists, academics, and international bodies such as Interpol, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Telecommunications Union, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and and other advisory bodies set up by the UN Secretary General, as well as a diversity of CSOs to engage in solution-finding.,Equality Now will provide legal expertise in gender, international law and the development of model laws and practice guidance to all partners in the process, as well as support to a shared communications strategy, and opportunities for convening for thinking and co-creation. WLiAI will provide expertise in AI, AI ethics and governance of digital technologies and the internet. CCAN will provide access to a wide network of organizations and governments for insight and influence on the issues of misogyny and extremism. AUDRi will provide links to networks of organizations and governments seeking digital rights and good governance of the internet. The commitment will engage other organizations working on toxic masculinity to help address the linkages as well.