Voices of change: International Women's Day

Published on: 7 March 2018
Woman and megaphone #IWD #8M #WomensDay

Strikes, marches, stories. Women make change in many ways. Every day we are surviving and resisting, and on 8 March of every year we come together to celebrate our hard work and use our collective power to initiate changes that further cement women's human rights.
 
We're going to spend the day celebrating women who use tech for change. Join us on Twitter with #takebackthetech and let us know about the women and gender-variant folks using tech for activism in your community. Who is developing new tools? Who is using tech in creative ways? Who is helping us stay safe online? What are the smartest, most creative, funniest and most outrageous ways you've seen a woman or non-binary person use tech for justice?
 
In addition, we've put together a list of actions Take Back the Tech! campaigners and partners are planning for International Women's Day. These actions help women feel safe enough to use their voices, uplift women's stories, and create a chorus that rings through the streets. They are spread out in multiple countries, so even though it's impossible to participate in all of them, you can see what's going on in places like Mexico, India and Lebanon and feel like your voice is part of that greater chorus.
 
Strike, march and share online and on-ground. Sing out for change. Take back the tech!
 
Making women safe enough to use their voices
 
Philippines | Statement: Women's Groups Decry Violence as Women's Month Opens | 2 March
Several women's groups, including TBTT campaigner Foundation for Media Alternatives, came together to release a statement expressing opposition to the policies of President Duterte.
 
Malaysia | Publication: Women's Manifesto | 8 March
Organised by TBTT campaigner EMPOWER Malaysia
The Women's Manifesto  is a document of Malaysian women's demands from 10 thematic areas, endorsed by various movements in support of gender equality. The demands are towards the creation of a more enabling environment for the respect, promotion, protection and fulfilment of human rights on the basis of gender equality. 
 
Mumbai, India | Workshop: Prevention of sexual harassment of women at the workplace | 8 March
Organised by Safecity, which uses tech to crowdmap data on sexual harassment in public spaces. 
 
Latin America and the Caribbean | Website launch: Ciberseguras | Month of March
Organised by a network of feminist and tech activists from Chile, Brazil, Bolivia, Guatemala and Mexico
Trainings and activities in different countries throughout March to celebrate the launch of the new site on digital security from a feminist perspective.
 
Giving women a platform to speak
 
Chiang Mai, Thailand | Workshop: Women Call for Peace | 7 March
Organised by Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development
Women human rights defenders from Thailand, Burma and the Philippines will discuss how conflict disproportionately affects women and girls.
 
Mexico | Stories: Voces de Mujeres | 8 March
Organised by Voces de Mujeres, a project in collaboration by Luchadoras, La Sandia Digital, Subversiones and Social TIC 
A project to make visible the transformative roles of women in their communities, enable them to produce their own stories and change the way women are represented in the media
 
South Africa | Webinar: From Hashtags to Action – Young Women Speak Out! | 8 March
Organised by Gender Links
A discussion on progress on women's rights, featuring the voices of young women 
12:00 – 14:00 SA time
 
Uganda | Tweet Chat: Press for Progress | 8 March
Organised by TBTT campaigner WOUGNET
A celebration of the role of ICTs and the internet in the development of women
1:30 – 2:30 Uganda time
 
International | Tweet chat | 8 March 
Organised by SIGWomen (ISOC)
For Europe, Africa, Asia: 12 UTC
For the Americas: 19 UTC
 
Chiapas, Mexico | Convening: The First International Gathering of Politics, Art, Sport, and Culture for Women in Struggle | 8-10 March 
Organised by Zapatista women 
Many TBTT campaigners will be there, including Luchadoras, who will offer a workshop on storytelling and a Feminist Internet.
 
Cape Town, South Africa | Panel: Abortion Provider Appreciation Day | 9 March
Organised by Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition
 
Leading rallying cries
 
New Delhi, India | Women's March | 8 March
Organised by several groups including TBTT campaigner Feminism in India
 
Manila and Zambales, Philippines | Women's March | 8 March
Organised by World March of Women – Pilipinas
8:00 a.m., University of Santo Tomas
Flowers will be given to survivors of extra-judicial killings and Foundation for Media Alternatives will speak at the end about online gender-based violence.

Zagreb, Rijeka, Split, Croatia | Women's March | 8 March
Organised by an informal platform for women's reproductive rights
Zagreb: 18:00, start at Square of Victims of Fascism
https://www.facebook.com/events/151812092183191/
Rijeka: 18:00, start in Kont
https://www.facebook.com/events/241064889768454/
Buenos Aires, Argentina | Strike and march: Nosotros Paramos, Nos Paramos | 8 March
 
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Women’s March | 10 March
Organised by several groups including TBTT campaigner Empower
 
Lebanon, Beirut | March: Different Causes, Shared Anger | 11 March
Follow @UprisingofWomen for more information. @geekandqueer will be there too!
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