Blog by Sarah Barnbrook, SI Melbourne.
Soroptimists Contributing to Global Action on Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence at WD2026
Women Deliver Conferences are among the leading global gatherings for advancing gender equality. They bring advocates, experts, leaders and decision-makers together to share ideas, strengthen momentum and support collective action on key issues affecting women and girls, including rights and bodily autonomy. Since the first Conference was held in London in 2007, Women Deliver has hosted six global Conferences, engaging more than 30,000 participants from around the world.
Women Deliver 2026 (WD2026) brought together more than 6,000 delegates from over 189 countries in Melbourne, creating one of the world’s largest global gatherings focused on gender equality, human rights, and the future of women and girls. It created space for governments, civil society, researchers, advocates, and feminist leaders to come together during a period of growing global instability and increasing backlash against the rights of women and girls.
“The theme for WD2026 is Change calls us here.
Change calls us here to gather, to strategize, and to shift power. Change calls us here to centre the leadership and lived experiences of feminists, First Nations leaders, and advocates across the Oceanic Pacific. Change calls us here to come together – across oceans, movements, and generations – to resist, to reimagine and to rebuild.” https://womendeliver.org/wd2026/
One of the strongest messages throughout the conference was the importance of women gathering together. Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard spoke about how many of the most important advances in gender equality have emerged from moments where women gathered across regions and movements to challenge ideas, build relationships, and push collectively for systemic reform.
Women Deliver President and CEO Dr Maliha Khan also reflected on the importance of feminist movements reconnecting and organising together at a time when anti-rights movements, shrinking civic space, and attacks on gender equality are intensifying globally. In a world where many advocates work in isolation, spaces like Women Deliver offer opportunities to reconnect, recharge, and strengthen global networks of support.
Consulting on the Melbourne Declaration for Gender Equality
I had the privilege of helping lead a Declaration Consultation on Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), bringing together advocates, representatives and delegates to contribute to the future direction of the Melbourne Declaration for Gender Equality.
This consultation was involved the collaboration of Away from Keyboard (AFK) Inc., the Australian Gender Equality Council (AGEC), National Council of Women Victoria (NCWV), Soroptimist International, and Women 4 STEM. The session formed part of the broader global consultation process supporting the Melbourne Declaration, which was shaped through 32 consultations involving more than 650 participants globally.
The Melbourne Declaration itself was launched at WD2026 as a global commitment to rebalance power, resources, and accountability for gender equality. This Declaration articulates the world that girls, women, and gender-diverse people deserve.
Importantly, it acknowledged the growing impact of new technologies in amplifying misogyny and online violence. Our consultation focused on the rapidly escalating harms occurring in digital environments, including online exploitation, image-based abuse, coercive control facilitated through technology, AI-generated abuse material, online harassment, grooming pathways, cyber abuse, and the disproportionate impact these harms continue to have on women, girls, and vulnerable communities.
As a result, this session identified a need to move beyond reactive responses and toward upstream prevention, Safety by Design, human rights-centred governance, and stronger accountability across platforms, governments, and emerging technologies.
How Do We Respond to Technology-Facilitated Gender Based Violence?
It became very clear during Women Deliver 2026 that technology-facilitated violence is no longer being viewed as a secondary issue. Multiple speakers raised concerns across sessions about online violence, shrinking civic space, coordinated anti-rights movements, and the way emerging technologies are accelerating harm faster than many systems can respond.
In the opening plenary, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed warned that “new technologies are amplifying misogyny and online violence.” If we are to take this comment into account, it is important we continue to keep TFGBV at the centre of global discussions on gender equality.
At the same time, collaboration between grassroots organisations, as well as feminist movements, policymakers, experts, advocates, and community leaders, should also be prioritised in order to keep pace with the sophistication and scale of emerging harms.
As Soroptimists, this work strongly aligns with our commitment to advancing the rights, dignity, and safety of women and girls globally. Technology is reshaping every aspect of modern life, and we have an important role to play in ensuring these systems are designed ethically, inclusively, and safely.
Importantly, the consultation process for the Melbourne Declaration is still open globally.
Individuals and organisations are invited to contribute ideas, recommendations, actions, and statements relating to Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence and the future direction of global gender equality advocacy.
Global consultation survey:
Melbourne Declaration TFGBV Consultation Survey
This is an opportunity for voices from across the Soroptimist network and wider community to help shape future advocacy priorities and contribute to global conversations surrounding digital safety, emerging technologies, and the protection of women and girls online. I will be submitting the final survey findings to the organisers of Women Deliver by June.
Sarah Barnbrook
Co-Lead, Digital Safety Futures, SI Australia
Soroptimist International Melbourne Inc.| SISEAP Federation
