Cybersecurity Threats, Vulnerabilities and Resilience Among Women Human Rights Defenders and Civil Society in South-East Asia

Author(s): UN Women and UN University Institute in Macau

There have been few efforts documenting the experiences of WCSOs and WHRDs with cybersecurity threats, their cyber vulnerabilities and the ways they enact cyber resilience. In conducting this research, UN Women and the UN University Institute in Macau (UNU Macau) acknowledge that women are disproportionally negatively affected by cybersecurity risks and that WHRDs and WCSOs are often specifically targeted, especially in politically volatile and conflict- and crisis-affected contexts and situations where civic space is shrinking.

The results of the research highlight that digital technologies have a central function for WCSOs and WHRDs in their work and are now critical tools used to engage in advocacy and activism. However, this new reliance on technology can also expose individuals and organisations to cyber threats that may disrupt their work, damage their reputation, and even create harm or injury, all of which can further marginalise women’s voices and participation in society and change-making processes.

This research was made possible with the generous support of the Government of Australia, under the Cyber and Critical Tech Cooperation Program, and the Government of the Republic of Korea as part of the UN Women project Women, Peace and Cybersecurity: Promoting Women’s Peace and Security in the Digital World.

To learn more on the publication please visit: Women, Peace and Cybersecurity