PANEL: Unwanted, Insidious and Intimidating: Understanding and Interrupting Gender-based Tech-Facilitated Abuse
Tracks
Room 2: In-Person Only
| Wednesday, November 27, 2024 |
| 10:40 AM - 11:10 AM |
| Room 2 |
Overview
Carolyn Wilkes, Karen Bentley, & Dr Bridget Harris, Monica Anderson
& Kayla Glynn-Braun Esafety
Speaker
Ms Karen Bentley
CEO
Wesnet (Women's Services Network) Inc
Unwanted, Insidious and Intimidating: Understanding and Interrupting Gender-based Tech-Facilitated Abuse
11:10 AM - 11:40 AMAbstract
Biography
Karen Bentley, is the CEO of WESNET, Australia’s national peak body for specialist women’s domestic and family violence services. Karen has worked across the Violence Against Women sector since 1997 as a senior executive in the Australian Public Service, as a consultant, in frontline services and in WESNET. Karen co-founded the Safety Net Australia project in 2012 which focuses on the intersection of technology and Violence Against Women, and is regularly called upon to provide advice to governments, policymakers and technology companies on the issue of technology-facilitated abuse. Karen has trained thousands of frontline workers and other professionals about technology safety and is a co-founder of the Safety Net Australia project. Karen has a BSc(Hons) from ANU and began her career in the Australian Public Service where she worked across several agencies. She has also worked as a consultant to numerous non-government organisations and in leadership positions in the health sector. She is a board member of the Global Network of Women's Shelters and the Forcibly Displaced Persons Network. She is passionate about ensuring gender equality and ending all forms of gender-based violence.
A/Prof Bridget Harris
Director, Monash Gender And Family Violence Prevention Centre
Monash University
PANEL: Unwanted, Insidious and Intimidating: Understanding and Interrupting Gender-based Tech-Facilitated Abuse
11:10 AM - 11:40 AMAbstract
Biography
Bio coming soon...
Carolyn Wilkes
Manager, Gender And Tech
eSafety
Unwanted, Insidious and Intimidating: Understanding and Interrupting Gender-based Tech-Facilitated Abuse
Abstract
In early 2024, the rates and extremity of violence against women (VAW) saw a rise in media interest and political concern. Largely lost from these conversations was the central role of technology in cases of DFSV.
1 in 2 Australians have experienced Technology-Facilitated Abuse (TFA) in their lifetime. For women, this violence is more likely to be perpetrated by a current or former partner, be more repeated and more severe, with 33% of women reporting their abuser had tried to control them in other ways; and 26% reporting the experience had caused them to fear for their safety.
This panel brings together experts in research, policy and practice to discuss gender-based TFA, and how to improve responses to, and prevention of, this nefarious threat to women’s and children’s safety. Together panellists will share their expertise on:
• what TFA looks like in 2024;
• available supports;
• how survivors can mitigate risks;
• legislative options; and
• what prevention strategies look like.
In doing so the panel discussion will illustrate how TFA is entwined in many of the other conference themes; that our approach to gender-based TFA needs to both recognise its ubiquity in our society and the diverse experiences of its victims. In particular, it will centre the expertise of those on the frontlines of working with First Nations women, culturally and linguistically diverse women, and women living in rural, regional and remote Australia.
It will explore where current research and response priorities are and what is on the horizon in terms of threats and opportunities. Finally, by drawing on the insights of those most impacted by this contemporary war on women, but often least heard, we will illustrate they are also the ones that can lead us in preventing gender-based TFA.
Key Learnings:
1. TFA is part of most forms of GBV.
2. Intersectional insights are key to preventing TFA.
3. With emerging tech threats also come new opportunities.
1 in 2 Australians have experienced Technology-Facilitated Abuse (TFA) in their lifetime. For women, this violence is more likely to be perpetrated by a current or former partner, be more repeated and more severe, with 33% of women reporting their abuser had tried to control them in other ways; and 26% reporting the experience had caused them to fear for their safety.
This panel brings together experts in research, policy and practice to discuss gender-based TFA, and how to improve responses to, and prevention of, this nefarious threat to women’s and children’s safety. Together panellists will share their expertise on:
• what TFA looks like in 2024;
• available supports;
• how survivors can mitigate risks;
• legislative options; and
• what prevention strategies look like.
In doing so the panel discussion will illustrate how TFA is entwined in many of the other conference themes; that our approach to gender-based TFA needs to both recognise its ubiquity in our society and the diverse experiences of its victims. In particular, it will centre the expertise of those on the frontlines of working with First Nations women, culturally and linguistically diverse women, and women living in rural, regional and remote Australia.
It will explore where current research and response priorities are and what is on the horizon in terms of threats and opportunities. Finally, by drawing on the insights of those most impacted by this contemporary war on women, but often least heard, we will illustrate they are also the ones that can lead us in preventing gender-based TFA.
Key Learnings:
1. TFA is part of most forms of GBV.
2. Intersectional insights are key to preventing TFA.
3. With emerging tech threats also come new opportunities.
Biography
Carolyn Wilkes is Manager of the Gender and Tech team in eSafety's Education, Prevention and Inclusion Branch. The team works to encourage better responses to, and the prevention of, tech-based abuse of women and the building of safe, inclusive and gender equal online spaces. In the ten years prior to joining eSafety, Carolyn worked within the federal Department of Social Services on a range of disability policies and programs with seven of those years managing policy and programs for independent disability advocacy. Other roles have been in local government community development and the non-government sector.
