Asia Pacific countries in general experience an apparent ​‘disconnect’ between global internet policies and local legislation.

While there’s now a seeming progress in discussion around human rights in cyberspace globally, local legislations continue to advocate restrictions in cyber freedoms. While there’s a great push globally to have a multi-stakeholder internet governance discourse, civil society still don’t get to have an active role in decision-making processes in regional and domestic internet governance spaces. While women leaders are actively taking on bigger roles in global internet governance spaces, gender inclusivity is still a great challenge in the region, much more locally.

This workshop will explore how this is so and why regional and local internet governance spaces lack participation generally from stakeholders. The panel speakers will also highlight their stakeholder group’s initiatives to make sure that domestic and global internet governance spaces where they actively engage has gender perspective and pursue a rights-based approach. The workshop will in effect draw the current landscape of the struggle for respect of human rights in cyberspace in different countries and would encourage further cooperation among internet rights advocacy groups to further this advocacy in the region.

Panel Members:

Dr. Anja Kovacs, Director, Internet Democracy Project, India

Ms. Noelle de Guzman, Regional Programmes Coordinator, Internet Society Asia-Pacific

Ms. Naomi Fontanos, Executive Director, Gender and Development Advocates Filipinas (GANDA Filipinas)

Ms. Nica Dumlao, Internet Rights Coordinator, Foundation for Media Alternatives, Philippines

Mr. Arthit Suriyawongkul, Coordinator, Thai Netizen Network (Remote)

Ms. Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro , Director, Pasifika Nexus (Remote)

Mr. Shahzad Ahmad, Country Director, Bytes for All (Remote)

Moderator: Lisa Garcia, Foundation for Media Alternatives, Philippines