Washington, D.C. – On December 9, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will co-sponsor an event along with the Interagency Gender Working Group (IGWG) and the Environmental Change and Security Program/Woodrow Wilson Center entitled,  “Gender-Based Violence and Innovative Technologies: Opportunities, Challenges, and Ethical Considerations” at the Woodrow Wilson Center.

Alex Dehgan, Chief Scientist and Director of USAID’s Office of Science and Technology will deliver opening remarks. Christopher Burns, Senior Advisor and Team Lead for Mobile Access at USAID will provide an overview on technology's role in preventing gender-based violence.  The event will also feature select researchers and programmers from the US and abroad who are implementing innovative technologies to address gender-based violence in a range of settings.  Also in attendance will be gender-based violence and other public health and international development programmers, activists, as well as those working in the area of science, and technology, civil society, and academics.

Presenters will address the great potential that innovative technologies hold in preventing and responding to gender-based violence in low- and middle-income countries.  The event will also focus on possible ethical considerations and other implementation challenges that may arise with the application of new technologies used to combat gender-based violence.

Other presenters include: WITNESS Senior Program Manager for Africa and the Middle East Bukeni Waruzi, Dimagi India Manager of Field Operations Mohini Bhavsar,  Johns Hopkins University Associate Professor of the School of Nursing and Associate Director of the Center of Global Health Nancy Glass, and Tech 4 Good, LLC Filmmaker and Executive Director Nancy Schwartzman.
 

The program will be live or archived webcast at WilsonCenter.org.

Press interested in attending, please contact: Katharine.diamond@wilsoncenter.org.  Media bringing heavy equipment must indicate this in their response for clearance through building security.