Feminist cyber policy addresses inequalities that persist online, challenging the digital divide, online harassment, and the gender data gap to create a more inclusive and equitable cyberspace.
Digital technology has permeated every aspect of life today. While supporting activities from work to home-life and leisure, its uses also reflect entrenched gender roles and patterns of discrimination. Studies show that women are less confident than men in their digital skills, more likely to face harassment online, and underrepresented in data used for hiring, healthcare and finance decisions. We clearly have the ability to leverage this technology to improve and simplify our world, so why can’t we harness its power to combat inequalities? A feminist cyber policy is essential to make strides in this direction.
The cyber realm allows us to connect and exchange ideas globally, access information and make use of online services. It offers digital freedom and many positive prospects for democracy. However, it also opens the door for espionage, sabotage and extortion. Moreover, offline inequities are inevitably reflected in the online world. Adopting a feminist perspective in cyberspace goes beyond merely ensuring gender equality. It means actively addressing gender-based discrimination, uncovering the inequalities faced by women, marginalised communities and LGBTQIA+ individuals, acknowledging intersectionality, challenging patriarchal structures, and advocating for human rights.
The goal is to ensure digital sovereignty for all individuals – giving them the ability to navigate the digital world with independence, autonomy, and security. At the moment, however, we are losing the battle for these rights on many fronts, and with the rapid evolution of digital technology, injustices are only apt to grow.
The digital gender gap, cyberbullying, and unfair algorithms
In a recent study, the digital association Bitkom e.V. emphasises that women are much more hesitant than men when it comes to using the internet and handling digital devices. A survey of 1,002 people in Germany aged 16 and over shows that men are significantly more confident about their digital skills and competencies than women. For example, 30% of women said they could protect their devices or apps with antivirus programs or strong passwords, compared to 43% of men. 45% of women also expressed a desire to gain more knowledge in this area.
While this reflects the situation in Germany, there is also a digital divide worldwide. An analysis by the International Telecommunication Union shows that 70% of men worldwide use the internet, compared to 65% of women (as of 2023). Additionally, the “D21-Digital-Index” study reveals that men are more likely to work from home, resulting in greater utilisation of digital technologies. This disparity is particularly alarming given that women represent a significant portion of the global offline population, with a gender gap of 17%, equating to approximately 250 million individuals.
Women and minorities are also frequent targets of harassment on social media. A statista study (2024) shows that such gender-specific attacks occur far more frequently than in other online environments. One in five women worldwide has been confronted with online content that implies the superiority of men. This suppresses diverse voices and reinforces gender inequality in a male-dominated cyberspace. An article by Chatham House highlights the abuse of female politicians in Latin America, which has forced some women to close their social media accounts. And gender is often used in disinformation campaigns, as in the case of US presidential candidate Kamala Harris. An article by Deutsche Welle shows how Harris became a target of bullying and hate on social media due to misinformation about her gender, skin color, and ethnic background. The anonymity of the internet makes it difficult to prosecute perpetrators.
In addition to this digital divide, there is a significant gender data gap, with women underrepresented in academic research data. This underrepresentation affects areas like data analysis and is becoming especially problematic as artificial intelligence (AI) is used more and more in recruitment and decision-making processes. AI relies on statistical inferences from available data, making gender-inclusive data essential for fair algorithms. Without it, algorithms can produce biased outcomes; for instance, Amazon’s recruitment tool favored male applicants due to training on data with a disproportionate number of male applications.
In the banking industry, AI-driven decisions often occur with minimal human oversight, increasing the risk of discrimination against women, who may be disproportionately affected by income disparities. To combat this, it is vital to use data that is disaggregated by gender, particularly in critical areas like security and health.
Some ways to address digital inequities
A feminist cyber policy can address these gender-based injustices by challenging power imbalances and promoting equity in the digital space. For example, the policy research project Superrr Lab’s "Feminist Tech Principles" advocate for technologies that prioritise community needs over profit and ensure equitable access. They emphasise engaging marginalised groups and the right for individuals to control how their data is used, particularly in debates like chat control.
A feminist foreign policy requires official government adoption and cross-departmental integration to ensure lasting progress. Germany’s Feminist Foreign Policy strategy, adopted in March 2023, focuses on women’s self-determination, participation, and representation in cyberspace, but the strategy has faced criticism for lacking institutional integration. Sweden faced a similar issue when feminist policies were sidelined after a change in government leadership.
Internationally, the UN’s upcoming "Global Digital Compact" aims to address the digital divide, focusing on human rights, technology access, and equitable data practices. It seeks to connect every school to the internet by 2030 but faces challenges in defining concrete steps to bridge the digital gap, especially in the Global South. Offline inequalities, such as gender discrimination, are mirrored cyberspace. Power structures and biases must be dismantled both online and offline to achieve a truly equitable digital world. To drive lasting change, institutionalised feminist cyber policies are essential.
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