A new United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Report on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in relation to technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) in the Caribbean was officially launched on Monday (June 29).
The launch took place during a workshop on ‘AI, Online Safety, and Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence’, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.
In remarks delivered on her behalf by Principal Director of the Bureau of Gender Affairs (BGA), Sharon Coburn Robinson, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, emphasised that while AI holds immense potential to transform societies, it is simultaneously opening new pathways for abuse against women and girls.
“We are gathered at the intersection of two forces which are reshaping our landscape… artificial intelligence, which can build economies, and… technology-facilitated gender-based violence, which can destroy lives at the speed of a click,” the Minister said.
Ms. Grange noted that UNESCO’s research findings mirror the lived realities of countless women and girls, many of whom continue to endure online harassment and other forms of digital abuse.
She pointed out that the issue builds on ongoing initiatives by the BGA, which has been working to combat gender-based violence through sustained public education and awareness campaigns.
“The campaigns, the messaging and the community engagement are built on one foundational truth – that gender-based violence does not stay in one lane. It moves, adapts, and now it has moved online,” the Minister stated.
Against this backdrop, Ms. Grange commended UNESCO for ensuring that the voices and experiences of Caribbean people were integral in shaping the publication.
“That report is not just research. It is the documented reality of lives affected, and it deserves to be taken seriously at every level of governance across this region,” she declared.
Ms. Grange also encouraged young people to actively engage in discussions on artificial intelligence and digital governance, stressing that their experiences within digital spaces are vital to shaping policies that are both effective and inclusive.
In his remarks, Regional Director and Representative of the UNESCO Cluster Office of the Caribbean, Eric Falt, stated that the findings underscore the pervasive nature of TFGBV across the region.
“Sixty per cent of respondents reported experiencing at least one form of technology facilitated gender-based violence in the past 12 months,” he informed.
Mr. Falt noted that the report reveals how online abuse not only harms direct victims, but also deters many women and girls from fully engaging in digital spaces—framing the issue as one of human rights, gender equality, and digital governance.
Meanwhile, First Counsellor of the Delegation of the European Union to Jamaica, Belize, and The Bahamas, Aniceto Rodríguez Ruiz, noted that while artificial intelligence offers tremendous opportunities to enhance public services and drive innovation, it must be developed and applied responsibly.
He emphasised that, “addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence requires a whole of society response”.
Mr. Ruiz stated that the report provides valuable evidence on how emerging technologies are impacting gender equality and human rights in the Caribbean, while also helping to identify response gaps and strengthen collaboration among governments, technology companies, law enforcement, educators, and civil society.
He added that the workshop should mark the beginning of sustained dialogue and practical action to ensure that technology is harnessed to empower people, uphold human rights, and foster a safer, more inclusive digital future for Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.
