Blog by Tania Gómez Herazo, SI Advocacy AI Advisor
AI FOR JUSTICE AND SAFETY
Wednesday, March 11 from 09:00 -17:00 EDT
Microsoft offices in Time Square
Soroptimist International Meets Her Royal Majesty Queen Angelique Monet Gureje-Thompson from Nigeria
A memorable highlight of CSW70 was the inspiring meeting between Soroptimist International Advocacy Director Berthe De Vos-Neven and Her Royal Majesty Queen Angelique Monet Gureje-Thompson, Royal Patron of the “AI for Justice and Safety” side event at Microsoft offices. Held on the sidelines of the conference in New York, this encounter celebrated shared commitments to all women and girls’s empowerment amid discussions on ethical AI and prevention of Technology facilitated gender-based violence.
Her Royal Majesty expressed genuine admiration for Soroptimist International’s impactful work across our core pillars: Education, Empowerment, Environment, Health, and Violence Against Women and Girls. She praised our global advocacy for economic justice and survivor-centered initiatives, noting how they align seamlessly with her visionary leadership in harnessing technology for peace and protection.
The conversation sparked excitement about future collaborations, from joint projects to amplify all women and girl’s future. As Soroptimists, we see a great potential in partnering with such dedicated allies to scale our reach and innovate solutions.
This royal endorsement reinforces our momentum. Together with champions like Queen Angelique, Soroptimist is building a safe digital future for all women and girls.
The event featured five well-structured panels that progressed from identifying technology-facilitated harms to showcasing ethical AI solutions. It was a full day event with different panels.
Panel 1 addressed Technology facilitated gender-based violence, citing a 70% rise in US reports, while calling for platform accountability and stronger laws to protect migrant women from exploitation.
Panel 2 demonstrated generative AI’s positive potential, with avatars enabling survivors to share testimonies anonymously. Examples included different survivor’s viral stories and accounts reaching one million views, bypassing survivor’s censorship and stigma.
Panel 3 focused on practical AI tools for survivors: legal research, case management, shelter planning, and trauma-informed therapy like neuro memory modification. Experts outlined ethical principles including transparency, consent, and non-discrimination to ensure survivor safety and agency.
Panel 4 explored AI applications in the Women, Peace and Security agenda, supporting documentation and advocacy without re-traumatization.
Panel 5 highlighted AI in artistic healing, such as survivor-centered documentaries, writing workshops and ethical filmmaking, concluding with Ruchira Gupta’s book reading.
As Soroptimist International’s advocacy advisor on AI, I see these innovations as vital for protecting all women and girls while enabling economic participation through secure digital platforms. This aligns directly with our mission and 5 pillars.
Ethical AI supports education, empowerment and enablement for safe environments and Soroptimist are working on this transformation.
