Gendered Cybersecurity to Gender-Exclusive Cybersecurity: Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Access to the Internet is rapidly becoming a necessity for economic well-being and is increasingly viewed as a fundamental human right. Thus, it is crucial to ensure that digital public spaces are safe and empowering for everyone, including women and girls. Most countries have national cybersecurity policies and plans in place. However, scientific research has revealed that the nature and extent of cybercrime and cybervictimization differ between women and men and between girls and boys. Just as women and girls across the globe are disproportionally subjected to violence in physical spaces, they are confronted with a continuation of violence in cyberspaces. Therefore, most countries are obligated to update their national cybersecurity approach from gendered cybersecurity to gender-exclusive cybersecurity plans. This chapter provides an overview of the problems, needs, efforts, and effective interventions to prevent the reproduction of violence from physical spaces to cyberspaces and to ensure much-needed security and safety for women and girls in cyberspaces.