Just Associates (JASS) Southern Africa, the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and Women'sNet are very pleased to announce the launch of a new resource: ICTs for Feminist Movement Building: Activist Toolkit Across the world, women are using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to support rights agendas, tell their own stories and challenge emerging issues in…
We are pleased to announce that Take Back the Tech! has been nominated for The Bobs Awards, the best in online activism. Since 2004, The Bobs awards honor bloggers, activists and journalists in 14 languages that champion the open exchange of ideas, freedom of expression and human rights on the Internet. The Bobs are the only global, international award honoring creative and brave projects online…
If you know how to use the technology, you can avoid becoming a victim. Before speaking out, it is important to take your time to understand the way the Internet works. 1. If you intended to be anonymous, stay anonymous. In the online world the mere desire of remaining anonymous is not enough to keep your identity safe and hidden. It is not only about avoiding to sign a post or article…
It's Human Rights Day, which means it's also the final day of a great 16 Days campaign! People from around the world have come together to speak up about violence against women, and these actions inspire women and girls to keep working for change. Here are some highlights from the past two weeks of documentation, solidarity and resistance: Videos women made on the relationship between violence…
5 December 2014 Women bloggers and journalists face frequent online harassment, cyberstalking and even physical violence. The more visible a woman is online, the more abuse she faces, and this violence aims to silence her. We need women's voices in the media. We need women challenging gender norms and sexist depictions, countering the exploitation of women's bodies, contributing to analysis…
Today is World AIDS Day, which gives us a moment to stop and reflect on those lost to this virus, those living with it and those at risk. But this is an issue that deserves our attention year-round. Did you know that there are more women than men living with HIV? Or that women who experience physical violence are at greater risk of acquiring or having HIV than those without violence in their…
I've been trying to interview women and girls for the documentation action that Take Back the Tech! announced. I've found it's more difficult than I anticipated, so I wanted to explore the reasons why because I think they are directly related to the theme of freedom of expression. "I'm not sure I can speak to that." Many of the women I speak to say they don't feel prepared to talk about the…
Today marks the International Day on the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Do you know the story behind it? On 25 November, 1960, Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa Mirabal were beaten and murdered by the henchmen of Rafael Trujillo, the dictator of the Dominican Republic, because they were involved in a movement to overthrow him. The sisters are known as 'the butterflies', or 'las mariposas…
Today we launch the new Take Back the Tech! website and the 2014 16 Days Campaign. "Violence silences" is the campaign theme, focusing on the relationship between violence against women and freedom of expression. You can find our call to action on the current campaign page, and we will share announcements and notes throughout the campaign in the action library. You can also find campaign…
We all applauded the advent of digital technology. Alas, it was soon to be disillusioned when we realized that this same technology can be used as a weapon of crime. We made plans for that this time hence the voiceless, the poor can also have the right to speak. International meetings have been and are organized around the world at national, subregional, regional and international levels on the…