Dear HIFA colleagues,
I am passing on an invitation from WHO to join a webinar on #UNiTE to end digital violence, on 1 December 2025, 13.00 CET (geneva time). Please see details below:
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Dear Neil Pakenham-Walsh
We are delighted to invite you to join our webinar on #UNiTE to end digital violence, on 1 December 2025, 13.00 CET (geneva time), with Ms Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur for violence against women, its causes and consequences, Dr Stella Chungong, Director and Chair of the WHO Health Emergencies Gender Working Group, and voices of community experiences.
Please do join the discussion and share widely.
Title: UNiTE to end digital violence: why digital safety is a gender and public health imperative in emergencies
Time and Date: 13:00 – 14:30 CET (Geneva), Monday, 1 December 2025
Registration: https://bit.ly/4prKGeu
Webpage: WHO EPI-WIN webinar: UNiTE to end digital violence: why digital safety is a gender and public health imperative in emergencies
Digital violence, such as doxxing, deepfakes, and online harassment, poses significant public health risks. Millions of women, girls, and adolescents face harassment, stalking, and threats in digital spaces meant for connection.
In crisis settings, these digital threats create multiple challenges. Understand what they are and why it is important to integrate digital safety into humanitarian health responses.
Tentative Agenda and Speakers
Welcome/Opening remarks: Digital safety as a public health imperative in crises: Dr Stella Chungong, Director, Department of Health Emergency Preparedness & Chair, WHE Gender Working Group
Preparedness begins with protection: why digital violence must be addressed in humanitarian health work: Dr Stella Chungong, Director, Department of Health Emergency Preparedness & Chair, WHE Gender Working Group
UNFPA perspective from Executive Director, UNFPA: delivered by Dr Eugene Kongyuy, Deputy Director of Humanitarian Response Division to represent the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Keynote address: Ms Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur for Violence Against Women, its causes and consequences
Risk communication, community engagement and infodemic management: digital violence as a driver of misinformation: Dr Kai Von Harbou, Unit Head, Community Protection & Resilience, WHO
Surviving Digital Violence: DR Millie Phiri, journalist, researcher and author on digital violence
Community Voice: Ms Sohaila Shamseldeen, Youth and Development Coordinator, Etijah
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Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org