Survivors of technology-facilitated gender violence - like image-based sexual abuse, cyberstalking, or harassment - often do not know where to turn for assistance, nor do they always understand their legal rights and options. End Cyber Abuse hopes to create an app, specifically a chatbot, to offer guidance to survivors of technology-facilitated gender violence. We hope this app can provide immediate guidance on how to take down intimate images, how to report abuse or harassment to platforms, tools and tips for digital security, and guidance on legal rights. In this session, we will first facilitate a collaborative brainstorming session on ideas for an app. Then, we break participants into groups, where they select an idea and design the backend of an app that assists survivors of technology-facilitated gender violence. Each group will then pitch their idea, with time for Q&A and feedback.
Our session will be designed to be participatory and collaborative. We have two key components: a collaborative brainstorming/ideation session (using sticky notes, etc) followed by brainstorming and design (the mini-hackathon) of what one of those ideas actually looks like in practice. We will then reserve time for groups to give short (1 minute max) pitches to the whole group. We will deal with varying numbers of participants by scenario planning for 3, 10, or 30 participants. We can break into groups as long as we have at least 2 people per group. If we have 30, we'll need to break into more groups, but that can be easily adjusted. We may then need to make larger groups (5 people each) and keep introductions only in the chat to manage time.
We're hoping that many efforts and discussions will continue after Mozfest. Share any ideas you already have for how to continue the work from your session.:We are excited about this opportunity to have a mini-hackathon and ideating session at Mozfest! At End Cyber Abuse, we have been discussing the possibility of creating an app or a resource that would help guide survivors of tech abuse in understanding their rights and options, and seeking help - perhaps through a chatbot. This session would help us find potential new partners - technologists, funders, activists, researchers or others - who might be interested in working together to actually develop this app or a similar resource together. We could work with participants after Mozfest to build on the initial ideas and design developed in the session. There is a lot of opportunity for collaboration continuing out of Mozfest.
What is the goal and/or outcome of your session?:.
Akhila is Co-Director of End Cyber Abuse. She has worked internationally on gender violence in online and offline spaces, and provided legal representation to survivors of tech abuse.
Nishma is a gender rights activist and human rights lawyer based between Mumbai and London. Her experience spans work on gender, access to justice, technology & harm and labour rights.