Women’s rights – Adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the resolution put forward by France and the Netherlands on the elimination of violence against women and girls in the digital environment (14 November 2024)

On 14 November 2024, with very broad support from 170 countries, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to eliminate violence against women and girls in the digital environment put forward at the instigation of France and the Netherlands.

With this resolution, France and its partners reaffirm the need to protect and promote women’s and girls’ rights in the digital environment, the right to private life and the right to freedom of expression. It calls on States and all stakeholders, including online platforms, to fight harassment and disinformation. To this end, France recalls its commitment to fighting impunity.

Fighting violence against women and girls, including online, is a priority for France. As part of its feminist foreign policy, France is promoting progress at national level brought about by the act to secure and regulate the digital space (SREN Act). Put forward by Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and promulgated on 21 May 2024, this act aims to protect citizens, and particularly women and minors, from new online dangers, including child pornography, cyber harassment and deepfakes.

France is defending women’s rights across the globe and all spaces, including online. In 2024, it initiated the Laboratory for Women’s Rights Online, a platform for exchanging ideas and an incubator for developing projects to prevent and fight gender-based violence.

On 10 and 11 February 2025, France will host the AI Action Summit, which will focus special attention on gender issues.