Carlotta Rigotti participates in international workshop on image-based sexual abuse
As eLaw Postdoc researcher exploring the multiple intersections between law, gender, and technology, Carlotta Rigotti has recently participated in a groundbreaking international workshop focused on combatting image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) at the CAIS premises in Bochum, Germany.
Organized by Dr. Silvia Semenzin from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and the Center for Advanced Internet Studies, the workshop took place from March 19th to 21st. Over the course of three days, female experts from across Europe and diverse sectors of academia and civil-based society organizations (CSOs), including victims/survivors, gathered to exchange knowledge and foster a new understanding of definitions and data surrounding IBSA through feminist approach.
Together, participants collaborated to envision more inclusive and gender-sensitive legal, educational, and technological solutions, culminating in the creation of the first draft of a policy recommendation report intended for submission to European Union (EU) lawmakers and media outlets.
This report will serve as a key contribution to the broader discourse on IBSA, initiated on a global scale in the past decade, and will represent a foundational step towards a more robust and feminist-oriented, EU response to this pressing issue.
During the workshop, Carlotta contributed invaluable legal expertise, by discussing the ambitions and limitations of policy efforts against IBSA, particularly within the context of the upcoming Directive on violence against women and domestic violence, the Digital Service Act, and the AI Act.
Additionally, other scholars complex concepts such as the "manosphere" and the digital capitalism of gender-based violence, shedding light on these important dimensions of the issue. Importantly, diverse participants coming from CSOs shared insights into their organizations' work and the everyday challenges they face in providing victim support and seeking legal redress.
Beyond the creation of the policy recommendation report, the workshop fostered the establishment of meaningful professional and personal connections among brilliant and enthusiastic stakeholders. The output of the event not only advances policy efforts against IBSA but also strengthens the collaborative network of individuals dedicated to combating this form of sexualised and gendered harm.
Overall, participants recognized the significance of this cross-disciplinary and collaborative workshop, leading to the decision that it will mark the inaugural event of an ongoing series. You can stay updated on future developments by visiting this website. Additionally, if you're interested in delving deeper into the topic, you can read an article co-authored by Carlotta Rigotti and Professor Clare Mc Glynn from Durham University, which offers insights into the understanding and regulation of image-based sexual abuse at the EU level. However, with the upcoming adoption of the directive on violence against women, including the criminalization of image-based sexual abuse in Article 7, expect more written contributions in the near future.