[bestbits] CIS' Statement on Sexual Harassment at ICANN55
Nadira Alaraj
nadira.araj at gmail.com
Mon Mar 28 00:18:09 EDT 2016
Dear All,
FYI
On its Weekly Digest, an ICANN blog, by Akram Atallah,
dated March 25, about
*Conduct at ICANN Meetings*
http:// <http://icann.org/news/blog/conduct-at-icann-meetings>icann.org
<http://icann.org/news/blog/conduct-at-icann-meetings>
/news/blog/conduct-at-icann-meetings
<http://icann.org/news/blog/conduct-at-icann-meetings>
> On Mar 25, 2016, at 16:13, Bishakha Datta <bishakha at pointofview.org>
wrote:
>
> Dear all,
>
> As one of the two coordinators of the Gender Dynamic Coalition, I want to
thank you for including us in this critical conversation.
>
> We had proposed drafting a sexual harassment policy for the IGF at the
Gender Dynamic Coalition meeting at IGF 2015, a proposal that was strongly
endorsed at that meeting. We had also formed a small volunteer committee
for this purpose.
>
> We will now move quickly on this, using many of the excellent points and
resources that have been mentioned on this thread.
>
> Please let us know if any of you would like to join this committee.
>
> Many thanks
> Bishakha
>
Hi All,
I have been following the thread and commend Ms Baruah for making her
experience public and the movement for a sexual harassment policy. I would
also like to urge some form of education or communication for new
participants who come into IG spaces such as ICANN and IGF. A lack of
awareness of what can do when one experiences sexual harassment means some
incidences go unreported.
I would also like to volunteer join the small committee set up for this
purpose.
Thanks,
Chenai
Chenai Chair
Researcher
Research ICT Africa
Unit 409, Old Castle Brewery
6 Beach Road
Woodstock, Cape Town, 7925
South Africa
T: +27 71 151 5602
f: www.facebook.com/researchICTafrica.ne
<http://www.facebook.com/researchICTafrica.net>t
t: @RIAnetwork
See www.researchICTafrica.net for most recent policy research papers
On Mar 25, 2016, at 16:13, Bishakha Datta <bishakha at pointofview.org> wrote:
Dear all,
As one of the two coordinators of the Gender Dynamic Coalition, I want to
thank you for including us in this critical conversation.
We had proposed drafting a sexual harassment policy for the IGF at the
Gender Dynamic Coalition meeting at IGF 2015, a proposal that was strongly
endorsed at that meeting. We had also formed a small volunteer committee
for this purpose.
We will now move quickly on this, using many of the excellent points and
resources that have been mentioned on this thread.
Please let us know if any of you would like to join this committee.
Many thanks
Bishakha
On Thu, Mar 24, 2016 at 7:39 PM, Erika Smith <erika at apcwomen.org> wrote:
> Hi all,
> I wrote to RIPE NCC per Lorena's comment to ask if they could share the
> policy or provide us with a contact person, although I've just noticed
> that Chris Buckridge is on this CC so perhaps s/he an provide us with more
> insight.
>
> On the geek feminism wiki there are two sources that may be of use in
> drafting - one is for online spaces and community management, and the
> other for in-person conferences.
> http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Community_anti-harassment/Policy
> http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Conference_anti-harassment/Policy
>
>
> Geek Feminism also has evaluations of Codes of Conduct that could be
> useful for making sure the policy learns from other policies' weaknesses:
> http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Code_of_conduct_evaluations
>
>
> Erika
>
>
> > Dear Padmini and Sunil,
> >
> > Supporting you completely. Please let me know how can we help other than
> > joining your call for positive measures. We all must insist on
> > professional, friendly, safe environment for all but especially towards
> > women.
> >
> > I would suggest looking at a community-maintained list of conferences
> > with policies on the Geek Feminism Wiki.
> >
> >
> > On 03/22/2016 03:17 PM, Lorena Jaume-Palasi wrote:
> >> Dear all,
> >> I think RIPE NCC drafted last year an anti-harassment policy. They
> >> certainly could contribute with best practices.
> >> Cheers
> >> Lorena
> >>
> >> 2016-03-22 18:43 GMT+01:00 Jac sm Kee <jac at apcwomen.org
> >> <mailto:jac at apcwomen.org>>:
> >>
> >> Dear all,
> >>
> >> Copying the Gender DC mailing list and also the 2 coordinators into
> >> this
> >> conversation. Like in Ms Padmini's statement, when this was raised
> >> at
> >> the last IGF during the Gender DC workshop, other participants
> >> shared
> >> their experience of sexual harassment. So discussing and tackling
> >> this
> >> issue seriously at esp a space on IG process and policy
> >> conversations is
> >> critical. Contributes significantly to creating an inclusive,
> >> respectful, non-discriminatory and diverse participatory
> >> environment.
> >>
> >> I think the DC is in the process of drafting a proposed policy to be
> >> taken up at the upcoming IGF. Would be great to see initiatives
> >> build
> >> and inform each other, and to also share best practices. There has
> >> been
> >> many initiatives and models in different contexts that can be drawn
> >> from
> >> - events, organisational, country specific, space/platform etc.
> >> Fully
> >> support the idea of a WG in ICANN.
> >>
> >> Best regards,
> >> jac
> >>
> >>
> >> ---------------------------------
> >> Jac sm Kee
> >> Manager, Women's Rights Programme
> >> Association for Progressive Communications
> >> www.apc.org <http://www.apc.org> | www.takebackthetech.net
> >> <http://www.takebackthetech.net> | erotics.apc.org
> >> <http://erotics.apc.org>
> >> Jitsi: jacsmk | Skype: jacsmk | Twitter: @jhybe
> >>
> >> On 22/03/2016 00:15, Nadira Alaraj wrote:
> >> > Dear all
> >> > I commend Ms. Padmini Baruah courage for bringing this issue to
> >> ICANN
> >> > and to the civil society public forums.
> >> > The discussion here raises a questions and I would like to direct
> >> this
> >> > to those senior with ICANN.
> >> > How we can create a working group to discuss this issue under
> >> ICANN
> >> > umbrella? It is important the recommendations of this group to be
> >> > instituted into ICANN.
> >> > Which body of ICANN will grant the official existence of this
> >> group and
> >> > what constituency it will work?
> >> > Hoping these answers will bring the existence of this working
> >> group and
> >> > follow the pattern of button up approach in decision making of
> >> ICANN and
> >> > to follow with the recommendations of Padmini to make them happen.
> >> > Best wishes,
> >> > Nadira Alaraj
> >> >
> >> > On Mar 21, 2016 6:32 PM, <nigidaad at gmail.com
> >> <mailto:nigidaad at gmail.com>
> >> > <mailto:nigidaad at gmail.com <mailto:nigidaad at gmail.com>>> wrote:
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > First of all, I would like to say I think that Ms Baruah is an
> >> > incredibly brave woman for not only making her story public,
> >> but
> >> > also for not giving up despite being discouraged to report the
> >> > incident and CIS for issuing a statement on rather ignored
> >> issue
> >> > within our own circles. I personally know many women who don’t
> >> > report harassment because there is a lack of support and
> >> significant
> >> > discouragement. Unfortunately, this leads to silencing and
> >> harassers
> >> > are thus granted impunity.
> >> >
> >> > Ms Baruah’s statement betrays another reality that women in
> >> this
> >> > field have to live with if they wish to continue working: her
> >> > harasser was granted access to her space where he was allowed
> >> to
> >> > make her uncomfortable by staring. I have lost count of the
> >> number
> >> > of women who have spoken about this. Unless a strong
> >> accountability
> >> > mechanism is enforced, the rate of reporting harassment will
> >> remain
> >> > low. Women will not come forward unless they are guaranteed
> >> that
> >> > they will not have to face their harasser until they are ready
> >> to.
> >> > Furthermore, having to face a harasser is triggering and
> >> emotional
> >> > exhaustion leads to giving up.
> >> >
> >> > This incident should lead to reflection regarding harassment
> >> in our
> >> > own tech community and development in general.
> >> >
> >> > Strong policies should not only be enforced, but should be
> >> > culturally sensitive. For example, if women from a very
> >> patriarchal
> >> > country report harassment to someone, they should not be asked
> >> to
> >> > first officially report it legally. Some are unable to do so
> >> and
> >> > will hesitate to do so due to lack of support.
> >> >
> >> > More than anything else, as a community, we need to reflect on
> >> how
> >> > we got here and why. Perhaps some accountability on our own
> >> roles is
> >> > necessary because men would not able to harass women so easily
> >> > unless they knew they had impunity on some level. While it is
> >> > heartening to see conversations taking place, I don’t believe
> >> we can
> >> > have meaningful change unless we all collectively discuss how
> >> we got
> >> > here in the first place. Why does the tech development
> >> industry have
> >> > such a bad reputation when it comes to harassment? Surely it
> >> isn’t
> >> > the result of a conspiracy against us.
> >> >
> >> > Jac it would be great if we make this discussion happen at
> >> Gender
> >> > Dynamic Coalition in next IGF and discuss how to address the
> >> issue
> >> > of sexual harassment not only restricted to spaces like ICANN
> >> and
> >> > IGF but within our own community.
> >> >
> >> > My two cents..
> >> >
> >> > Best,
> >> > Nighat Dad
> >> > Digital Rights Foundation, Pakistan.
> >> >
> >> > Sent from my iPhone
> >> >
> >> > On 21-Mar-2016, at 8:00 pm, Sunil Abraham <
> sunil at cis-india.org
> >> <mailto:sunil at cis-india.org>
> >> > <mailto:sunil at cis-india.org <mailto:sunil at cis-india.org>>>
> >> wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> The Centre for Internet and Society
> >> >>
> >> >> Statement on Sexual Harassment at ICANN55
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> The Centre for Internet and Society (“CIS”) strongly condemns
> >> the
> >> >> acts of sexual harassment that took place against one of our
> >> >> representatives, Ms. Padmini Baruah, during ICANN 55 in
> >> Marrakech.
> >> >> It is completely unacceptable that an event the scale of an
> >> ICANN
> >> >> meeting does not have in place a formal redressal system, a
> >> >> neutral point of contact or even a policy for complainants
> >> who
> >> >> have been put through the ordeal of sexual harassment. ICANN
> >> >> cannot claim to be inclusive or diverse if it does not
> >> formally
> >> >> recognise a specific procedure or recourse under such
> >> instances.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Ms. Baruah is by no means the first young woman to be subject
> >> to
> >> >> such treatment at an ICANN event, but she isthe first to
> >> raise a
> >> >> formalcomplaint. Following the incident, she was given no
> >> >> immediate remedy or formal recourse, and that has left her
> >> with no
> >> >> option but to make the incident publicly known in the
> >> interim. The
> >> >> ombudsman’s office has been in touch with her, but this
> >> >> administrative process is simply inadequate for
> >> rights-violations.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Ms. Baruah has received support from various community,
> >> staff, and
> >> >> board members. While we are thankful for their support, we
> >> believe
> >> >> that this situation can be better dealt with through some
> >> positive
> >> >> measures. We ask that ICANN carry out the following steps in
> >> order
> >> >> to make its meetings a truly safe and inclusive space:
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> 1.
> >> >>
> >> >> Institute a formal redressal system and policy with
> >> regard to
> >> >> sexual harassment within ICANN. The policy must be
> >> displayed
> >> >> on the ICANN website, at the venue of meetings and made
> >> >> available in delegate kits.
> >> >>
> >> >> 2.
> >> >>
> >> >> Institute an Anti Sexual Harassment Committee that is
> >> neutral
> >> >> and approachable. Merely having an ombudsman who is a
> >> white
> >> >> male, however well intentioned, is inadequate and
> >> completely
> >> >> unhelpful to the complainant. The present situation is
> >> one
> >> >> where the ombudsman has no effective power and only
> >> advises
> >> >> the board.
> >> >>
> >> >> 3.
> >> >>
> >> >> Conduct periodic gender and sexual harassment training of
> >> the
> >> >> ICANN board to help them better understand these issues.
> >> >>
> >> >> 4.
> >> >>
> >> >> Conduct periodic gender and sexual harassment training
> >> for the
> >> >> ombudsman even if he/she will not be the exclusive point
> >> of
> >> >> contact for complainants as the ombudsman forms an
> >> important
> >> >> part of community and participant engagement.
> >> >>
> >> >> 5.
> >> >>
> >> >> Conduct periodic gender sensitisation for the ICANN
> >> community.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> ____________________________________________________________
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> >> --
> >>
> >> Lorena Jaume-Palasí ∙ Coordinator, Global Internet Governance
> >> Arbeitsgruppe
> >>
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> > --
> > Warm Regards
> > Mishi Choudhary, Esq.
> > Legal Director
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>
>
> Erika Smith
> Association for Progressive Communications
> Women's Rights Programme
>
> Take Back the Tech! Reclaim ICTs to end violence against women:
> https://www.takebackthetech.net
> Map tech-related violence https://www.apc.org/ushahidi
> Gender and ICT Policy Portal: https://genderit.org
> Connect your Rights! Internet Rights are Human Rights:
> http://www.apc.org/en/node/11424
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> GreeningIT - ICTS, Climate Change & Environmental Sustainability:
> https://www.apc.org/node/8022
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