Deadline:
Apr 21, 2026About the Laboratory for Women's Rights Online:
The Women's Rights Lab Online is a French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) initiative implemented by Expertise France. The Lab responds to online and technology-facilitated gender-based violence through a coordinated approach. It brings together various actors committed to women's rights online — creating a coordination space for sharing good practices and experiences, and supporting initiatives that develop technical solutions, concrete projects, and research on online and technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
This is Cohort 2 of the programme, indicating an established initiative building on previous experience and learnings from the first cohort. Being selected means joining a structured incubation and support programme with access to a network of practitioners, researchers, and innovators working on digital gender equality.
Overall Objective:
Support concrete initiatives aimed at developing technical and technological solutions and/or producing knowledge through research projects on online and technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
Theme: "Artificial Intelligence and Technology-Facilitated GBV: Innovating to Prevent, Protect and Respond"
This cohort specifically focuses on the intersection of AI and gender-based violence — a cutting-edge area where AI is both a tool used to perpetrate violence AND a potential solution for prevention and response.
Two Specific Objectives:
Specific Objective 1 — Regulating AI and Combating AI-Enabled GBV: Incubate and support innovative technical and technological solutions, as well as research projects aimed at regulating artificial intelligence (inclusive and secure governance, respecting human rights and promoting gender equality) and aimed at combating the use of AI as tools for online and technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
This objective addresses the THREAT side — how AI is being weaponised for GBV. This includes AI-generated deepfake pornography and non-consensual intimate imagery. AI-powered harassment, stalking, and surveillance tools. AI-facilitated sextortion and blackmail. Algorithmic amplification of misogynistic content. Bias in AI content moderation that fails to protect women. The governance gap in AI regulation regarding gender-based harms.
Specific Objective 2 — Promoting Positive AI Use Against GBV: Incubate and support innovative technical and technological solutions, as well as research projects aimed at promoting the safe, inclusive, and positive use of artificial intelligence to combat online and technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
This objective addresses the SOLUTION side — how AI can be leveraged FOR protection. This includes AI-powered detection and removal of non-consensual intimate imagery. AI tools for identifying and flagging online harassment patterns. Machine learning models for predicting and preventing technology-facilitated abuse. AI-assisted support systems for survivors of online violence. Natural language processing for detecting grooming, coercion, and threats. AI-driven content moderation tools with gender-sensitive design. Secure digital tools for evidence collection and legal documentation.
Geographic Scope — GLOBAL:
Place of performance: Africa, America, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, Oceania — ALL continents listed. This means Nepal is FULLY ELIGIBLE. The global scope reflects the universal nature of online and technology-facilitated GBV and the need for solutions that work across diverse contexts.
Nepal Eligibility and Relevance:
Nepal is eligible — Asia is explicitly listed among eligible regions. Nepal presents growing relevance for this call.
Online and Technology-Facilitated GBV in Nepal: Nepal has experienced rapid growth in internet and smartphone penetration — from under 10% a decade ago to over 70% today. This digital transformation has brought new forms of gender-based violence that Nepal's legal and institutional frameworks are not yet equipped to address. Non-consensual sharing of intimate images ("revenge pornography") is a growing problem in Nepal, particularly affecting young women and girls. Online harassment, cyberstalking, and threats targeting women — especially women journalists, activists, and public figures — are increasing. Sextortion using social media platforms affects Nepali women and girls, with cases involving both domestic and cross-border perpetrators. Deepfake technology threatens to create new forms of image-based abuse. Nepal's Cybercrime Regulation lacks specific provisions for many forms of technology-facilitated GBV. Digital literacy gaps, particularly among women in rural areas, create vulnerability. Platforms used in Nepal (Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp, Viber) serve as vectors for technology-facilitated abuse.
How Nepal Aligns with the Call's Objectives:
Objective 1 (Regulating AI / Combating AI-Enabled GBV): Nepal is developing its digital governance framework — AI regulation with gender-responsive provisions is an emerging policy need. Research on AI-facilitated GBV in Nepal's context (Nepali language deepfakes, social media harassment patterns, algorithmic content moderation failures for Nepali-language content) would fill critical evidence gaps. Advocacy tools for gender-responsive AI governance in Nepal's policy development process.
Objective 2 (Positive AI Use Against GBV): AI tools for detecting Nepali-language online harassment and threats (NLP for Nepali, Maithili, and other languages). AI-assisted helpline systems for survivors of online violence in Nepal (integrating with existing helplines like 1145). Machine learning tools for identifying patterns of technology-facilitated abuse on platforms popular in Nepal. Digital safety tools designed for Nepali women's contexts — low-bandwidth, multilingual, accessible. AI-powered evidence documentation tools for legal proceedings in Nepal's justice system.
Potential Nepal Applicants: Tech organisations and social enterprises developing digital safety tools. Women's rights organisations with digital programmes (WOREC, FWLD, WHR). Research institutions studying digital gender inequality (Tribhuvan University, Martin Chautari). Digital rights organisations working on online safety and privacy. Organisations at the intersection of tech innovation and gender equality. Nepali tech startups developing AI solutions for social impact. International organisations with Nepal digital gender programmes. Joint applications between Nepal-based women's rights orgs and international tech/AI partners.
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