in Geneva 1211
On the occasion of the Geneva Peace Forum 2026, the Geneva Institute for Human Rights (GIHR), the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), the Government of Sweden and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), are organising an interactive simulation on technology-facilitated violence against women in politics and its impact on democratic processes.
What happens when a woman candidate narrowly wins an election, only to face a wave of disinformation and gendered online attacks threatening her safety, credibility and the peaceful transfer of power?
In this fast-paced, 90-minute simulation, you will step into a live political crisis, take on one of the key roles shaping the response, and work with others to decide what happens next. Every choice involves difficult trade-offs. Should you respond publicly or avoid amplifying the attacks? Who should act first? How can you protect the candidate without silencing her or further undermining public trust?
Drawing on real patterns of technology-facilitated violence against women in politics, the workshop explores how online attacks can exclude women, deepen polarization and destabilize democratic processes. A facilitated debrief will connect the experience to practical action by young peacebuilders, activists, researchers, public-interest technologists and civil-society organizations.
No specialist knowledge is required, only a willingness to participate, make difficult choices and examine their consequences. Participants will leave with practical insights that they can adapt to their own work.