Hosted by Equality Now; UNFPA & A+ Alliance for Inclusive Algorithms
22 September 2026
Register here: https://rightscon.summit.tc/catalog/rightscon-continues-2026
About the session:
Safety by design (SbD) is increasingly promoted as a corporate responsibility standard, and is emerging as a central debate in setting tech industry standards, but what does it really mean when defined by those most impacted by digital harm? Too often, safety by design is framed as a checklist for risk management rather than a transformative commitment to justice, equality, accountability, and rights. Current models privilege corporate interests and global north regulatory contexts, leaving behind women, girls, and marginalised communities in the Majority World who experience the consequences of poorly designed technology and are disproportionately affected by tech-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV).
This session asks: What if safety by design were defined through feminist principles and human rights obligations rather than corporate compliance?
Facilitators will explore:
• How business models and design choices are felt differently across the world, exacerbating systemic inequalities and harm, especially for those most marginalized.
• The gaps between existing legal duties of care, corporate due diligence, and the lived realities of users.
• What feminist, rights-based safety by design looks like in practice, including stronger algorithmic and data use transparency, survivor-centred human rights impact assessments, alignment with global tech industry standards, and corporate accountability in international human rights law.
• Systemic and design-level reforms, shaping algorithms, policies, and industry practices to reduce risks and prevent harms at the source proactively.
Speakers:
Mrinalini Dayal — Manager AUDRi, Equality Now
Stephanie Mikkelson — TFGBV Specialist, UNFPA
Amina Soulimani — Project Director, A+ Alliance
Tarunima Prabhakar — Co-Founder, Tattle Civic Technologies
Mallory Knodel — Executive Director, Social Web Foundation
Irene Mwemba — Tech Expert, Independent