Competition on safety, gender equality in cyberspace opens

Illustrative image (Photo: UN Women Vietnam)

Hanoi (VNA) – The contest "Cyber S – Generation S: Safety and equality in cyberspace" opened on October 4 to raise public awareness, especially among young people and content creators on social media, about safety and gender equality in cyberspace amid COVID-19 pandemic.

Co-hosted by the UN Women Vietnam, the Centre for Sustainable Development Studies (CSDS) and the CEDLink, the event will last till November with a training course on gender equality and safety in cyberspace for students and content creators, guidance for them to build and carry out their own projects, and join the competition with awards worth over 70 million VND (3,000 USD).

Speaking at the event, Vu Phuong Ly, an expert from the UN Women, said amid the pandemic, online schooling and working have become popular but still posed risks for users, especially women and girls. Therefore, improving public awareness of safety and gender equality in cyberspace has become urgent and necessary.

CSDS Director Don Tuan Phuong expressed his hope that the event will afford contestants a chance to share initiatives to build gender-sensitive contents and end gender violence online.

According to the Forbes magazine, the pandemic has pushed up the use of the Internet globally by 50-70 percent. Women and girls are vulnerable to online violence, including sexual abuse, physical threats, tracking and stealing personal information and photos./.