Today we mark World AIDS Day by affirming our universal human rights, free from discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. The recent UN political declaration on HIV and AIDS reaffirms the importance of good quality youth-friendly information and sexual health education to combat HIV/AIDS.

El acto de contar una historia es transformador.

Cuando contamos una historia estamos definiendo la experiencia. Nombramos a las/os protagonistas, narramos el acontecimiento, definimos los valores y decidimos qué detalles son importantes. En otras palabras, estamos construyendo la realidad.

Cuando escuchamos una historia, permitimos que nuestro punto de vista se desplace y se sumerja en otra realidad. Cuando escuchamos activamente, también desarrollamos una comprensión más profunda.

Ending violence against women and girls is everyone's responsibility.  In the first of five videos shared from Take Back the Tech! campaigners in Colombia, the role that men and boys can play to stop the violence is clear.  It addresses the recurring problem of privacy violations which are emerging in mapping of tech-related violence everywhere.  Women entrust and share intimate photos with partners who then violate that trust by disseminating the images broadly, a violation which is further compounded by third-party sharing.

Nica and Jothi from the Foundation for Media Alternatives shares their story about the struggle for legal redress for technology-related violence against women in the Philippines. Without the full recognition of women’s human rights, the path to recognition can sometimes act to cripple instead of empower.