Gender Peripheries of the 2012 Internet Governance Forum

The 7th Internet Governance Forum in Baku drew to a close two weeks ago. Avri Doria in her introduction to this edition discusses several breakthroughs made by this the world’s most important internet governance encounter. For the first time the forum has openly discussed human rights on the internet, and has not been silent on the autocracy and abuse of basic freedoms in the host country. Also for the first time in the IGF history, women’s rights have been brought to the main stage. However, gender aspects of human rights on the internet, such as the serious abuses women face because of what they say online, are still absent in the debates. Read reflections of GenderIT.org’s partners and writers about their experiences at the IGF.

Photo: Valentina Pellizzer, member of OneWorld Platform for Southeast Europe Foundation (OWPSEE) from Bosnia-Herzegovina, during her speech at the closing ceremony of the 2012 IGF. Original photo by Shawna Finnegan, APC.