OEA - CP - Resolución CP INF 10853 add 1

OAS/Ser.G CP/INF. 10853/26 add. 1 26 February 2026

Original: Spanish

CONCEPT PAPER AND PROPOSED AGENDA

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE PERMANENT COUNCIL TO COMMEMORATE

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY March 4, 2026

(Presented by the Permanent Missions of Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, and Uruguay)

PERMANENT COUNCILPERMANENT MISSION OF CHILE

TO THE

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

No. 36/26 The Permanent Mission of Chile to the Organization of American States, on behalf of itself and the Permanent Missions of Brazil, Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay, presents its compliments to the Chair of the Permanent Council and has the honor to supplement its request to convene a special meeting of the Permanent Council at 9:30 a.m. on March 4, 2026, to commemorate International Women’s Day. The proposed theme of the meeting is “Women in the Digital Transformation of the Americas” and a concept paper in that regard is attached for distribution to the member states. The Permanent Mission of Chile to the Organization of American States avails itself of this opportunity to convey to the Chair of the Permanent Council the renewed assurances of its highest consideration. Washington, D.C., February 26, 2026 Chair of the Permanent Council Organization of American States Washington, D.C. c.c: Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission of Women3

CONCEPT NOTE

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE PERMANENT COUNCIL

TO COMMEMORATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

WOMEN IN THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE AMERICAS

Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Time: 9:30 a.m.

Place: Simón Bolívar Room Accelerating digital transformation in the Americas brings significant opportunities for regional prosperity and social inclusion, but it also poses urgent challenges that require a collective

Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Time: 9:30 a.m.

Place: Simón Bolívar Room Accelerating digital transformation in the Americas brings significant opportunities for regional prosperity and social inclusion, but it also poses urgent challenges that require a collective response. In this context, digital violence against women and girls is not only a human rights concern, but also as a factor that can aggravate insecurity, weaken social cohesion, and undermine democratic stability and the full exercise of fundamental freedoms.

When women are silenced, attacked, or excluded from digital spaces, their full participation in public life, democratic processes, and peacebuilding is constrained, and their rights to political participation and freedom of expression are violated. Conversely, promoting women’s leadership and their full, equal, and meaningful participation in science and technology under safe and nondiscriminatory conditions has a transformative effect on digital ecosystems: it strengthens democratic governance, drives innovation, and contributes strategically to economic development, institutional resilience, and security in the region. This reality underscores the urgency of identifying and dismantling all gender gaps, including structural and cultural barriers, violence, algorithmic bias, and gender stereotypes reproduced in digital environments. These factors continue to leave women and girls underrepresented in technological development and leadership positions, while disproportionately exposing them to security risks and digital violence. Since 2020, progress in women’s representation in leadership positions has stagnated following significant gains since 2015. In the technology sector, representation remains even lower: women account for approximately 29 percent of the global technology workforce and only 14 percent of senior management positions in the sector. In addition, nearly 28 percent of jobs held by women are at risk from AI, compared to 21 percent of those held by men.1 / STEM occupations are projected to grow by

8.1 percent between 2024 and 2034, significantly outpacing the 2.7 percent growth projected for nonSTEM occupations. Despite this demand, women are still in the minority in large technology companies: They account for approximately 45 percent of the workforce at Amazon, 37.1 percent at Meta, 35 percent at Apple, 34 percent at Google, and 31.6 percent at Microsoft.2 / Research by UN Women indicates that digital risks and violence are still on the rise. In 2024, up to 58 percent of women worldwide reported experiencing online violence or harassment, and more than 90 percent of online deepfakes depicted sexualized images of women. The incidence of digital violence is further compounded when it spills over into the physical world, placing the health, physical integrity, and even the lives of millions of girls and women at risk.

1 . UNWOMEN, Gender Equality in 2025: Gains, Gaps, and the USD 342 Trillion Choice, September 15, 2025 2 . Women in Tech Stats 2025, Women in Tech Network.4 It is essential to advance toward more inclusive, safe, and sustainable technological development that strengthens protection and trust in digital spaces, particularly for girls, who face distinct and evolving risks. Public policies aimed at achieving parity in decision-making spaces, expanding access to emerging technologies, and promoting the participation of women and girls in STEM fields are examples of transformative measures that can foster more innovative, secure, and human rights–respecting digital ecosystems. Applying the principles of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda to digital governance frameworks reinforces the importance of women’s leadership, particularly in contexts where digital tools increasingly shape democratic governance, conflict dynamics, and security in the Americas. It also helps identify and address key public policy gaps, ensuring that technological innovation does not exacerbate existing inequalities or insecurity, but instead contributes to more resilient, inclusive, and rights-based societies. In this context, and in commemoration of International Women’s Day, observed annually on March 8 by the United Nations, this concept paper is circulated to the member states to complement

innovation does not exacerbate existing inequalities or insecurity, but instead contributes to more resilient, inclusive, and rights-based societies. In this context, and in commemoration of International Women’s Day, observed annually on March 8 by the United Nations, this concept paper is circulated to the member states to complement the special meeting of the OAS Permanent Council of March 4, 2026, with the following proposed agenda:

1. Welcoming remarks by the Chair of the Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of Colombia to the OAS, His Excellency Ambassador Luis Ernesto

Vargas.

2. Panel discussion - Ms. Alejandra Mora Mora, Executive Secretary of the CIM

• Ms. María Celeste Fuenmayor, Telecommunication Specialist, CITEL Secretariat - Ms. Sahana Dharmapuri, Our Secure Future (OSF), with a presentation titled “Women, Peace, and Security and the Futures of Technology – What World Are We Building?” - Commissioner Marion Bethel, Rapporteur on the Rights of Women of the

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

3. Statements by member states on progress in women’s digital rights