Jharkhand Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Dipika Pandey Singh, represented India at the Global Program on Advancing Feminist Political Leadership and Securing Peace, held in Lucerne, Switzerland, on October 24–25. The forum convened women leaders and parliamentarians from 47 countries to deliberate on strengthening feminist leadership and advancing global peace through inclusive policy-making.

Delivering her address on “Combating Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence — The Role of Parliamentarians,” Dipika Pandey Singh spotlighted the growing menace of digital abuse targeting women. She described online gender-based violence as a “shared global crisis” that erodes democracy and silences women’s voices.

“The internet must empower, not endanger,” she told the delegates, urging nations to recognise technology-facilitated abuse as a serious barrier to equality and participation in public life.

Drawing from Indian data, Dipika Pandey Singh said that 85% of women in India have faced some form of online harassment. In comparison, only 30% of victims feel confident enough to seek help from authorities. “This gap reflects not only mistrust but also the urgent need for stronger digital safeguards,” she said.

She proposed a three-pronged approach to curb online abuse, promoting digital literacy, ensuring stricter legal accountability for offenders and platforms, and empowering women to shape technology and policy frameworks themselves.

Dipika Pandey Singh also emphasised that online violence against women leaders and public figures must be treated as a direct attack on democratic values. She called for national parliaments to adopt gender-sensitive codes of conduct, invest in cyber helpdesks, and champion awareness programmes such as CTRL+SHIFT+RESPECT to build respect and empathy online.

During her visit, the Jharkhand minister was also invited to the Congress Plenary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) of Switzerland, where she exchanged views on progressive governance, social justice, and the importance of women’s representation in decision-making.

Her participation in the Lucerne program reinforced India’s commitment to shaping global conversations around gender equality, digital safety, and inclusive democracy.

“When women are safe — online and offline — societies become stronger, and democracies more resilient,” Dipika Pandey Singh concluded.