CPWO Annual Conference 2026

We welcome both new and recent research, including position or ideas submissions from industry and NGOs. To accommodate the interdisciplinary nature of the research domain, we will accept different forms of submissions: 

• Abstract/Summary: Outlining emerging problems, theoretical discussions, or new perspectives and ideas (up to 300 words) 
• Research papers: Presenting completed original or primary research, describing novel technical solutions, evaluations of existing methods, or empirical studies. Empirical studies can include experiments, case studies, surveys, user studies, or other qualitative or quantitative analysis (up to 10 pages, excluding references). 
• Posters: Presenting preliminary results, emerging problems, theoretical discussions, or new perspectives (up to 2 pages)  
• Presentation proposals: Based on already published work, the proposal should briefly describe the relevance of the publication to the area of online safety for women and girls (up to 300 words, plus link to published version of the paper) 

Your contributions will be submitted electronically, using the appropriate templates for your type of submission.

All submission deadlines are 11:59 pm Anywhere on Earth (AoE) time zone. Please note that this is an in-person conference and at least one author per accepted abstract must register and attend to present their paper.  

These guidelines provide information for prospective authors regarding submissions, review, registration, attendance expectations, and general policies for the 2nd Women & Girls’ Online Safety Conference. Authors are encouraged to read all sections carefully before submitting.

Review Process

All submissions will undergo peer review by members of the programme committee with relevant interdisciplinary expertise. Reviews will assess submissions based on:

• Relevance to women’s and girls’ online safety
• Methodological rigour and clarity (as appropriate to submission type)
• Ethical awareness and responsible research practices
• Quality of writing and presentation

Language and Accessibility

• The official language of the conference is English.
• Submissions should be written in clear, inclusive, and accessible language, avoiding unnecessary jargon where possible.
• Authors are encouraged to explain discipline-specific terminology to support interdisciplinary understanding.
• Where appropriate, authors should consider accessibility in figures, tables, and visual materials (e.g. readable fonts, descriptive captions).

Plagiarism and Originality

All submissions must represent original work that has not been previously published or is not under review elsewhere, except for presentation proposals explicitly based on previously published research.

• Plagiarism is not permitted.
• Submissions may be checked using plagiarism-detection software.
• Any use of third-party material must be properly cited.

If significant plagiarism or ethical concerns are identified, submissions may be rejected without review or withdrawn from the programme.

Code of Conduct and Expectations

All authors and participants are expected to adhere to the conference Code of Conduct, which prohibits harassment, discrimination, and harmful behaviour.

The organisers reserve the right to:

• Remove participants who violate the Code of Conduct
• Withdraw accepted submissions in cases of serious ethical or professional misconduct

This conference aims to bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from across all sectors—academia, technology, law enforcement, government, third sector, civil society, and beyond—to explore and address the pressing challenges to women’s safety in digital spaces. Recognising that online harms against women and girls are complex and multifaceted, we welcome contributions from a wide range of disciplines, including but not limited to technology, law, policing, social sciences, psychology, education, and public policy. We particularly encourage interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral work that seeks to understand and tackle the systemic, technical, legal, and societal dimensions of violence against women and girls online. 
We welcome a range of submissions, from abstracts or summaries that outline early work, emerging problems, theoretical discussions, or new perspectives; to full research papers and posters. We will also consider presentations of previously published research that are relevant to advancing online safety for women and girls. 
We invite submissions that explore, but are not limited to, the following areas: 

• Legal and Policy Frameworks: 
  • Analysis of existing laws and policies addressing online violence against women and girls 
  • Comparative and international perspectives on legal responses to online harms affecting women and girls  
  • Regulatory approaches to platform accountability and online harm mitigation 
  • Legal frameworks for TFVAWG such as deepfake abuse, doxxing, non-consensual image sharing, text-based abuse and cyberstalking, amongst others 
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of content moderation laws and digital safety regulations 
  • Rights-based approaches to protecting freedom of expression while ensuring women’s safety and privacy  
  • Challenges faced by victim-survivors to obtain justice when prosecuting online violence and digital abuse across jurisdictions 
  • Negative stereotypes in cases addressing TFGBV, including the judicial misunderstanding of these issues.  
  • Intersectional and decolonial approaches to responding to TFVAWG, including implications for law and policy 
  • Alternative forms of justice and redress 

• Responsible Technology and AI Interventions: 
  • Responsible AI approaches for women’s online safety 
  • Safety by design approaches for women’s online safety 
  • Detection and prevention of gender-based online violence (e.g., harassment, stalking, cyberbullying) 
  • Sentiment and emotion analysis in abusive or harmful online interactions towards women 
  • Gender bias identification and mitigation in AI  
  • Human-computer interaction approaches for women’s online safety  
  • Innovations in software tools, methods, or processes that enhance women’s online safety. 
  • Analysis of surveillance tools such as tracking devices, personal safety apps, and hidden cameras misused against women 
  • Responsible software engineering and responsible design for women’s online safety 
  • Risks in AI-Driven parasocial relationships 

• Human Behaviour, Psychology and Social Sciences: 
  • Experiences of online violence 
  • Bystander experiences, behaviour and interventions 
  • Perpetrator behaviour and practices 
  • Resistance and power in digital spaces 
  • Interaction of online and offline behaviour 
  • Role of social media platforms in facilitating or hindering online harms (affordances) 
  • Community and online safety 

• Policing and Enforcement: 
  • Law enforcement strategies for addressing online crimes towards women 
  • Challenges in investigating and prosecuting digital offences 
  • Training police forces and judicial systems in understanding digital violence 
  • Collaboration between tech companies, law enforcement, and civil society in tackling online gender-based violence 
  • New methodologies and digital forensic techniques for tracking and preventing digital crimes 
  • Intersectionality in digital policing – Addressing the unique vulnerabilities of marginalised groups in online abuse cases 
  • Policing in the Metaverse – Investigating crimes against women in virtual environments and immersive digital spaces 
  • Ethical considerations in digital law enforcement – Balancing privacy rights with proactive policing measures to prevent online violence 

We strongly encourage submissions that adopt interdisciplinary approaches and consider intersectional factors that influence women’s experiences online. 

All accepted abstracts/summaries, research papers and posters will be published as part of the conference proceedings. The proceedings will be hosted on Zenodo and available before the conference. 

This is an in-person conference, held at The Open University campus in Milton Keynes, UK.

• We expect at least one distinct author registration per accepted submission(s) to register and attend the conference in person to present their work.
• Registration fees and categories will be announced soon.
• Failure to register and attend will result in removal of the paper from the final programme and proceedings.

Authors should ensure they have the necessary funding, visas, and travel arrangements in place well in advance, we can support them with letters of invitation that confirm their papers being accepted for presentation at the conference.

Sponsoring the 2nd Women & Girls’ Online Safety Conference offers a unique opportunity to:

• Demonstrate leadership by positioning your organisation as a champion for online safety and gender equality
• Engage with influencers including researchers, policymakers, and industry innovators shaping the future of digital safety
• Enhance brand visibility among key stakeholders across technology, law, education, and civil society
• Support impactful change by contributing to research and collaboration that tackles systemic online harms 

The conference will attract a diverse and influential audience, including:

• Experts from industry, law enforcement, academia, government, and NGOs
• Policymakers and practitioners driving digital safety initiatives
• Media coverage and social amplification through conference and partner channels

Our sponsorship packages are designed to offer meaningful visibility and engagement, including:

• Brand recognition – logo placement on event materials, the conference website, and social media
• Speaking opportunities – showcase your thought leadership during key sessions
• Networking access – exclusive opportunities to engage with decision-makers and innovators
• Exhibit space – promote your products, services, or initiatives to a highly targeted audience 

The Conversation Wall will be displayed throughout the two-day conference, providing a dedicated space for students and ECRs to share an idea they are developing — even if it’s not yet ready to become a paper or poster.
This is not a traditional academic submission. It is a snapshot of something you are thinking about.

Your contribution will be visible to conference delegates, who will be able to:

• Leave feedback and suggestions
• Offer collaboration and make connections
• Connect with you directly 

The goal is dialogue, connection, and constructive input.

Participating in the Conversation Wall offers a unique opportunity to:

• Receive feedback from leading researchers, practitioners, and policy experts
• Make connections and identify potential collaborators
• Gain visibility within the CPWO community

Contributors may also choose to explore follow-up opportunities with CPWO with full credit and consent.

Importantly, the Emerging Ideas Wall is a space for dialogue, not idea extraction. Ideas remain the property of contributors and will not be used without permission and appropriate credit. If a submitted idea overlaps with existing CPWO work, we will be transparent and invite conversation where appropriate.

We invite one emerging idea related to:

• Online safety and online harms
• Technology-facilitated violence and abuse
• Protecting women and girls online
• Policy, law, policing, practice, or design

• Your name, institution, and contact details
• Title (max 10 words)
• Your idea, question, or challenge
• What kind of input you would welcome (e.g. advice, critique, collaboration, methods, policy insight)

Submission deadline: 31st July 2026