From May 19–21, 2026, the Gender & Tech Conference took place in London, bringing together researchers, practitioners, activists, funders, and organisations working at the intersection of gender, technology, safety, and violence prevention.
From right to left: Lina Maria Saldarriaga of Aulas en Paz; Babalwa Tyabashe-Phume from the University of Johannesburg; Ayesha Mago of the Sexual Violence Research Initiative; and Bishakha Datta from Point of View. They were part of the panel titled, ‘Rebalancing Power: Feminist, Locally-Led Research Shaping Safer Digital Futures’.
Lina María Saldarriaga, Coordinator of the Latin America Hub of the Coalition for Good Schools and Director of Operations at Aulas en Paz, had the opportunity to participate in the event in the SVRI panel “Rebalancing Power: Feminist, Locally Led Research Shaping Safer Digital Futures.” During the panel, she presented the project “Active Parental Mediation Skills for the Prevention of Online Violence Against Children and Adolescents: Pilot of a Chatbot in Colombia.” This project, developed with the support of SVRI together with the Department of Psychology at Universidad de los Andes and Sistema Futura, seeks to strengthen parents’ and caregivers’ capacities to accompany children and adolescents in their digital lives in safer, more informed, and more protective ways.
The Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan reaffirmed the states’ commitment to preventing violence against women and children.
Participating in this high-level event was an important opportunity to amplify the voice of Latin America in global conversations about digital safety and violence prevention in and through schools. Digital environments have become one of the most urgent spaces where children and adolescents face risks, but they also offer powerful opportunities for connection and prevention.
Lina María Saldarriaga is the Coordinator of the Latin America Hub of the Coalition for Good Schools, and Director of Operations at Aulas en Paz.