Webinar on Data Protection in Gender-Based Violence Cases

This webinar will explore how a victim-centred and trauma-informed approach to data protection can be effectively implemented in cases of gender-based violence within Higher Education Institutions in Europe. Drawing on both his legal background and his experience as an Ombudsperson at Central European University (CEU), Dr. Tommaso Soave will discuss how data protection principles can be applied in ways that safeguard victims/survivors, while also supporting institutions in fulfilling their ethical and legal obligations.  

The session will support participants in building strong, evidence-based arguments that they can use in their work designing and implementing policies to address gender-based violence, as well as in fostering constructive collaboration with Data Protection Officers and institutional leaders. 

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to: 

• Understand how data protection frameworks intersect with institutional responses to gender-based violence. 

• Strengthen collaboration between gender-based violence focal points, Data Protection Officers, and institutional leaders. 

• Build evidence-based arguments to support safe, ethical, and victim-centred data handling practices in higher education. 

Who is it for?

This webinar is designed for anyone interested in or working with anti-discrimination and equality structures in higher education. It will be especially relevant for: 

• Gender equality officers/focal points, equality and/or diversity officers  

• Data Protection Officers 

• Human Resources Officers 

• Gender equality plan implementing teams  

• University legal and compliance staff 

• Institutional leaders seeking to strengthen accountability in gender-based violence responses 

• Health and safety officers   

• Head of Departments/Units in charge or involved in gender-based violence  

• Trainers on the topic of gender-based violence in academic settings  

• Students interested in policy implementation 

Introducing the panel

Dr. Tommaso Soave works as an associate professor of law at Central European University, where he researches law and technology, international economic law, and legal theory. For the last six years, he has taught data protection law to students from a wide variety of jurisdictions. Before joining CEU, Tommaso worked as a dispute settlement lawyer at the World Trade Organization and as an associate attorney at Sidley Austin LLP. He regularly serves as a consultant for intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations on matters of trade and investment law. He has earned degrees from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Harvard Law School, Sciences Po Paris, and the University of Turin, and has been called to the Bar of New York. 

Diana Puerto Michaut is a lawyer, working as the Legal Circle Facilitator in GenderSAFE at Central European University, where she supports participants in developing and enhancing gender-based violence policies within their institutions. In her experience as an attorney, she provided legal counsel and courtroom representation to women survivors of gender-based violence in Argentina. Her prior work includes strategic litigation and research on women’s rights violations under CEDAW and within international human rights law. Diana holds an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree in Women’s and Gender Studies (CEU & University of Oviedo, 2023).