Keeping Women Safe Online
The internet presents a double-edged sword for women. On the one hand, it provides vital spaces for women seeking expression and opportunity. On the other, it’s increasingly a vector for abusers targeting women.
Jigsaw, a unit within Alphabet developing technology to make the world safer, and Women Techmakers, a global program for women in technology that provides visibility, community, and resources to drive innovation and participation in the field, partnered to kick off the Women’s Online Safety hackathon in 2020.
Overview
We invited social entrepreneurs, developers, and technologists to apply Google’s technology solutions with the aim to disrupt gender violence. Before the hackathon began, all participants were invited to complete a short workshop on the state of online harassment today. Participants then competed by pitching innovative ideas, from a new security app to track online harassment, to feature updates on existing products to enhance women’s communication with safety networks.
Impact
In 2021, over 2,000 women and allies representing over 50 countries participated in the 13 hackathons and training sessions our community hosted. During the hackathons, women worked together on innovative solutions to the challenges of women's online safety, and over 100 solutions were created. View the stories of some of the hackathons and hear from the women leaders in the videos below.