(VOVWORLD) -Digital transformation and technology play an increasingly important role in ensuring gender equality, protecting women in conflict zones, and raising women’s voices in the policy-making process, thereby promoting sustainable peace and security. These key messages were delivered at the ASEAN Future Forum’s Tuesday discussions.
The seminar "Women, peace, and security: digitalization for sustainable peace" at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (Photo: nhandan.vn)
|
Launched in 2021, the ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) translates statements and priorities into concrete actions aimed at eliminating violence against women, protecting women in conflict situations, and empowering women.
Ryce Chanchai, Director of the ASEAN WPS Program and representative of the UN Women in Indonesia, said approximately 420,000 victims have been trafficked to online scam centers in ASEAN countries, the majority of them women.
The lack of strong, coordinated action plans among regional countries has hindered an effective response to this kind of cybercrime. Increasing cooperation within ASEAN is the best way to address this challenge, said Chanchai.
“We're not going anywhere on these topic if we're not able to advance cross border collaboration, which is crucial to address all these cyber security services. ASEAN is building a new cyber security cooperation strategy which is expected to be implemented this year. We need to look at that.”
Sa Minh Ngọc, an officer of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department, said new technologies like AI and big data play an important role in implementing WPS frameworks. A specific example is the synchronization of peacekeeping databases across several African countries, including the Central African Republic, Sudan, and Somalia. This integration gives peacekeeping forces a comprehensive, real-time view, enabling them to make timely responses. The application of technology supports a larger role for women in peacekeeping activities.
While acknowledging that technology is fostering equal connectivity and a larger role for women, Sarah Tiffin, the UK Ambassador to ASEAN, warned that many countries have not yet taken serious action to protect women from cyberbullying and online hate speech.
“Talk a little bit about the UK experience and how we try to approach these challenges. We’ve been focused on the importance of inclusivity. If we're going to strengthen cyber resilience to make more effective use of digital in peace and security that has to be a collective effort. It has to be accompanied by strong digital governments”
Vicky Singmin, the Canadian Ambassador to ASEAN, said ASEAN countries should prioritize investment in helping women access and use technology as the first step toward strengthening regional cybersecurity governance.