This shift in perspective is important as female peacebuilders’ efforts, according to UNDIR, remain chronically undervalued and women remain under-represented in global peacebuilding and cybersecurity conversations globally. Pacific women are showing us that this issue should be addressed, and the first step is to embed digital resilience into their work as a matter of collective responsibility. 

 The WPS agenda, first articulated 25 years ago in UN Security Council Resolution 1325, recognises the disproportionate impact of conflict on women, as well as the vital role they play in peacebuilding. Women in the Pacific face intersecting historical, technological, and gendered barriers for recognition as peacebuilders, particularly in digital spaces.  

 It is important to distinguish between cybersecurity and digital tools in this context. UN Women & UNU defines cybersecurity as not just the state of being secure but encompasses “a set of practices undertaken by individuals and organisations to protect systems and networks so they can support and create a foundation for the expression and exercise of human rights.” 

This definition aligns with a human-centric cybersecurity model, which moves beyond techno-centric paradigms by highlighting the safety, agency, and rights of the people who interact with digital systems. 

 Digital tools, on the other hand, are the platforms and technologies, such as social media, encrypted messaging apps, and radio broadcasting software, that enable communication, advocacy, knowledge-sharing, and organising. These tools offer the opportunity to empower women to participate and lead in civic life and peacebuilding processes. However, without effective cybersecurity practices, these same tools can become passageways to harm, subject to surveillance, misinformation, hacking, or gendered harassment. 

Source : 16days of Activism