A Leadership Milestone
By the time I was appointed Co-Chair of the Asia Pacific yIGF 2024, I felt both humbled and empowered. The road leading up to this had been paved with challenges, but each one taught me something invaluable. Being Co-Chair was more than a title – it came with real responsibility. From planning the event to curating sessions and reaching out to speakers, my role was to ensure that young voices were heard, loud and clear, in the global governance space. What surprised me most was the strong sense of camaraderie that came with the role. Planning an event of this scale is no small feat, and it requires meticulous coordination. Finalizing the speaker lineup was a rewarding moment. After weeks of outreach, we secured experts who not only shared valuable insights but also mentored the youth participants.
Arriving in Taipei for yIGF 2024, I was immediately struck by the energy in the room. It wasn’t just the event itself – it was the sense of shared purpose. As Co-Chair, one of the most impactful moments came when we finalized the session on online safety, a topic that holds deep significance for me as a young woman who has witnessed both the empowering and harmful aspects of the Internet. I felt responsible for ensuring that our dialogue was not only informative but also deeply intersectional. This wasn’t just a conversation about cybersecurity—it was about ensuring that women, marginalized communities, and underrepresented voices were at the center of these discussions. Seeing young leaders debate solutions to these challenges was inspiring. We understood that these issues would define the future of our democracies, and it was a powerful reminder of how collective action can reshape even the most entrenched challenges. Participating and leading in these discussions deepened my appreciation for the importance of collaboration in the IG space. Watching young leaders from across Asia strategize on solutions—was a reminder of how collective action can reshape even the most entrenched challenges. The energy in the room was palpable.
A Central Focus
My goal was to participate in and lead discussions on gender-sensitive digital policies. During one of our key sessions on online safety, one thing that caught my eye was the intersectional approaches in cybersecurity, ensuring that women, marginalized communities, and underrepresented voices were not just included but prioritized. The Internet can be both a tool for empowerment and a space of exclusion, and gender is a significant factor in determining which experience prevails. The speakers explained how many policy solutions default to technical fixes like better reporting systems or AI-driven content moderation when stakeholders discuss online harassment. But from a gender-sensitive perspective, the issue goes deeper, pushing us to address societal norms and consider how marginalized women don’t have equal access to these reporting mechanisms. The panellists also focused on solutions that are accessible and effective for women across different regions and socio-economic backgrounds. Another insightful session was on Internet fragmentation where the discussants linked how fragmented digital spaces disproportionately affect women, particularly in regions with limited access. Our policy discussions often center around infrastructure and security but they rarely address how these challenges uniquely impact women’s digital rights.
Each step in this journey has been defined by growth—not just personal, but collective growth through shared efforts. As a lawyer, I’ve always approached this space with one question: How can we build an Internet that serves everyone, especially those who have historically been marginalized? Through NetMission and yIGF, I found answers, not by theorizing about digital policy in isolation, but by engaging with people who, like me, have lived through the consequences of poor digital governance.
Looking Ahead
As I reflect on my journey—from a young girl in Rajasthan, questioning the abrupt Internet blackouts, to a Co-Chair of yIGF, advocating for digital rights on the global stage—I see how my path was shaped by a feminist lens. The most rewarding aspect of my journey has been shaping the narrative around gender and technology. My advocacy is rooted in the belief that technology is not neutral. It either empowers or excludes. And it is the job of youth leaders like us to make sure that we are steering it toward empowerment, inclusivity, and justice.
By advocating for inclusive digital policies that recognize gender as a key factor, I hope to build an Internet that empowers rather than excludes. This has been my guiding principle—from my early work in Indian policy circles to my global advocacy roles at yIGF and APrIGF. As a youth leader in this space, I am committed to steering these discussions toward a more equitable future, where technology serves everyone, especially those who have historically been marginalized. Sometimes, it’s about stepping forward, even as a first-timer, because a lot of times, being a first-timer is precisely what the digital world needs.
Written by Ankita Rathi