Session
Organizer 1: Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 2: Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 2: Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 1: Mariana Valente, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 2: Catalina Moreno, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 3: Clarice Tavares, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 2: Catalina Moreno, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 3: Clarice Tavares, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The roundtable layout is ideal for this session because it fosters a collaborative and inclusive environment, encouraging open dialogue among panelists, on-site participants, and online attendees. Given the session’s focus on sharing national experiences, discussing legal frameworks, and exploring innovative approaches to addressing OGBV, a roundtable setup promotes interaction and engagement, which are essential for a meaningful exchange of ideas. A 90-minute duration is necessary to accommodate the session’s structure: 40-minutes for panelists to share insights and experiences from their respective countries. 50-minutes for interactive discussions, including Q&A, where both on-site and online participants can contribute. This extended time ensures that all voices are heard and allows for a deeper exploration of the complex issues surrounding OGBV, civil law, and intersectionality. The inclusion of a virtual room and a moderator to facilitate online participation further reinforces the need for a longer session to ensure a balanced and inclusive dialogue.
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The roundtable layout is ideal for this session because it fosters a collaborative and inclusive environment, encouraging open dialogue among panelists, on-site participants, and online attendees. Given the session’s focus on sharing national experiences, discussing legal frameworks, and exploring innovative approaches to addressing OGBV, a roundtable setup promotes interaction and engagement, which are essential for a meaningful exchange of ideas. A 90-minute duration is necessary to accommodate the session’s structure: 40-minutes for panelists to share insights and experiences from their respective countries. 50-minutes for interactive discussions, including Q&A, where both on-site and online participants can contribute. This extended time ensures that all voices are heard and allows for a deeper exploration of the complex issues surrounding OGBV, civil law, and intersectionality. The inclusion of a virtual room and a moderator to facilitate online participation further reinforces the need for a longer session to ensure a balanced and inclusive dialogue.
Policy Question(s)
A. How is online gender-based violence (OGBV) addressed within your country’s legal framework, and what specific challenges or limitations arise in applying civil law to provide redress for victims?
B. What role do internet governance frameworks and digital platform policies play in either exacerbating or mitigating OGBV, and how can civil law interact with these structures to ensure greater accountability and victim protection?
C. How do intersectional factors such as race, and sexual orientation influence judicial outcomes in cases of OGBV, particularly in terms of victims’ access to justice and their ability to obtain civil remedies?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how online gender-based violence (OGBV) has manifested and been addressed across Latin America, with speakers sharing insights into national debates, challenges, and collaborative efforts among local actors. The session is divided into two parts: four speakers will each deliver a 10-minute opening statement, followed by 50 minutes of audience interaction and panelist discussions. The panel’s national diversity, guided by a facilitator with expertise in OGBV and law, will provide unique perspectives and innovative approaches to the issue. Attendees will leave with actionable insights and a broader understanding of OGBV, supported by a summary of the discussion shared after the session.
Description:
Over the past decade, Latin America has experienced a significant rise in online gender-based violence (OGBV). While recent legislative efforts have sought to address this issue, most responses have been centered on criminal law, which tends to overlook an intersectional perspective and has limited effectiveness in providing redress to victims. The role of civil law and other forms of regulation in addressing OGBV remains underexplored, despite its potential to offer remedies that go beyond punitive measures. This panel will examine how courts across Latin America are applying civil law frameworks to compensate victims of OGBV. By analyzing legal trends in different countries, the discussion will consider whether civil remedies reinforce or challenge existing social inequalities related to gender, race, class, and political participation. The panel will bring together legal scholars, researchers, and advocates to discuss the effectiveness of civil law in addressing OGBV and to explore alternative legal approaches that better integrate intersectional perspectives. Key questions guiding the conversation include: How do courts in Latin America interpret and apply civil law principles in cases of OGBV? What role do digital platforms play in exacerbating or preventing these harms, and how does civil litigation interact with platform accountability? To what extent do intersectional factors influence judicial decisions on compensation? How can civil law frameworks and platform policies be reformed to better protect victims and ensure meaningful redress? By addressing these issues, the panel seeks to deepen the conversation on OGBV within the broader digital rights agenda, highlighting legal gaps and potential pathways for more effective response.
Over the past decade, Latin America has experienced a significant rise in online gender-based violence (OGBV). While recent legislative efforts have sought to address this issue, most responses have been centered on criminal law, which tends to overlook an intersectional perspective and has limited effectiveness in providing redress to victims. The role of civil law and other forms of regulation in addressing OGBV remains underexplored, despite its potential to offer remedies that go beyond punitive measures. This panel will examine how courts across Latin America are applying civil law frameworks to compensate victims of OGBV. By analyzing legal trends in different countries, the discussion will consider whether civil remedies reinforce or challenge existing social inequalities related to gender, race, class, and political participation. The panel will bring together legal scholars, researchers, and advocates to discuss the effectiveness of civil law in addressing OGBV and to explore alternative legal approaches that better integrate intersectional perspectives. Key questions guiding the conversation include: How do courts in Latin America interpret and apply civil law principles in cases of OGBV? What role do digital platforms play in exacerbating or preventing these harms, and how does civil litigation interact with platform accountability? To what extent do intersectional factors influence judicial decisions on compensation? How can civil law frameworks and platform policies be reformed to better protect victims and ensure meaningful redress? By addressing these issues, the panel seeks to deepen the conversation on OGBV within the broader digital rights agenda, highlighting legal gaps and potential pathways for more effective response.
Expected Outcomes
Our outcome is to create an inclusive and participatory space where legal experts, civil society organizations, academics, and digital rights advocates can critically examine the role of civil law and internet governance in addressing online gender-based violence (OGBV) across Latin America. Through this session, we aim to achieve the following outputs:
(I) Creation of a regional working group composed of representatives of nation-states, legal scholars, activists, and platform representatives to monitor and advocate for the implementation of civil law reforms and platform policies that effectively combat OGBV.
(ii) Production of a report summarizing key insights from the session, including case studies of innovative jurisprudence, challenges in applying civil law to OGBV, and best practices for ensuring victim protection and accountability.
(iii) Strengthening of cross-border collaboration among Latin American countries to share knowledge, strategies, and legal tools for addressing OGBV through civil law and improved internet governance.
Hybrid Format: The session will feature a virtual room where both online participants and speakers unable to attend the conference in person can interact. During the first 40 minutes, panelists will share experiences and insights from their respective countries, followed by 50 minutes of open discussion involving all participants. During the Q&A segment, the dynamics will alternate between questions from on-site attendees and questions or comments from online participants, which will be read aloud by the online moderator to ensure an inclusive and balanced dialogue.