Day 8 | Intimate partner violence & technology | Map it. End it. Demand change.

There is nothing domestic or tame about domestic violence and intimate partner abuse! Silence and isolation helps to keep the abuser in control. Break the silence. Take control of technology and make the violence known. Claim your power and map it!

There is nothing domestic or tame about domestic violence and intimate partner abuse! A woman (it is overwhelmingly women) caught in an abusive and violent intimate relationship has her sense of self, her dignity and integrity violated. It does harm to her health, her ability to function in the workplace and society, and to her body and safety.

Day 5: Online harassment & cyberstalking | Map it. End it. Demand change

Sexual harassment is a constant reality that women and girls all over the world have to deal with. It the spaces where we are able to participate freely and fully as equal members of society.  Keep our streets, mobile phones and online spaces safe from sexual harassment. Document, make it visible and end its everyday acceptance. Join the global movement!

Sexual harassment is a constant reality that women and girls all over the world have to deal with - from when we walk down the street, to catching a bus, to being at work, to checking our phone. Sexual harassment creates a world where women and girls are hailed as sexual objects, and acts to control, force conformity and to silence. It narrows the spaces where we are able to participate freely and fully as equal members of society, and impacts on our ability to access education and jobs. It can also have a devastating impact on mental and emotional health and well-being.

Day 2 | Violence is not our culture | Change it!

Cultural norms and attitudes support the perpetuation of violence against women in hidden and explicit ways. From forwarding sexist jokes, to abusive comments to culture & religion being used to excuse acts of VAW. Exercise your right to participate in the shaping of culture. Know it, define it, demand change!

Cultural norms and attitudes support the perpetuation of violence against women in hidden and explicit ways. Hidden, when sexism and discriminatory attitudes based on gender and sexuality are accepted and reinforced in our everyday lives. For example, when a sexist joke is carelessly forwarded over email that strengthens the idea that girls are inept in every field, even the kitchen. Or when women’s value can be summarily judged by the colour of her hair, or a man’s by how well he can control “his woman” in the bedroom.

Map it. End it. Demand change.

Stories can change the world. Join us this 16 days of activism to map your story and collectively build a body of evidence on violence against women that takes place online or through the use of internet and mobile phones. Make the invisible visible. Strengthen your knowledge on how to protect yourself online. Take control of technology to end violence against women!

Stories can change the world. Yet there are many stories that remain untold because there is no name for them, because of shame, and because they lay hidden beneath everyday acceptance. These are stories of violence that women and girls face all over the world.

But the world is changing. We are increasingly networked, and this connection has created immense possibilities to share unheard realities, to organise and come together for collective action, to shape and define a world that is more equal, inclusive of diversity, and that does not tolerate discrimination.

Day 16 | Break the silence | Document violence

Document the violation of women's human that takes place through acts of violence. Document, make it visible and break the silence around violence against women.

Despite the prevalence of violence against women, we've come to live with it as a normal part of everyday life. Especially since violence against women is often perpetrated by people known to the survivors, many of us tend to ignore the fact that someone we know is being abused or violated. We are nervous about being accused of intruding into someone's private life. Or that it is none of our business.

Day 15 : Map it! | Points of support & action

Help spread the word on initiatives, services and organisations that are taking action to address violence against women where you are. Plot it on the map!

We only look for help when we need it. But sometimes, it's useful to know what are the points of support and help near you that you can get in touch with for different reasons. One, because we always imagine violence to be someone else's reality until it happens to us. Second, it's good to be able to help another person when they turn to us for help. And importantly, we can also get in touch to grow the activism and volunteer our time and energy in supporting their work.

Day 8 | The Great Debate: Pornography | What's the harm?

The internet has become an important public space especially in contexts where other channels for information are regulated through law, custom or norms. Sexuality in particular, is an area that is subjected to close scrutiny and policing in all parts of the world, in different ways. It is often difficult for women to find safe spaces to find information related to sexual reproductive health or sexual pleasure from the diverse perspective of women and girls, or to engage in open conversations about these matters. At the same time, the internet has also enabled the flourishing of pornography. The dominant forms of pornography are often created for the male audience, with disempowering sexualised representations of women. This is also the basis in which calls have been made to regulate the exchange of information and communication over the internet, and for its censorship. Women are more often than not, absent in these discussions. What is the problem with online pornography? Speak for yourself. Join the great debate.

The internet has become an important public space for us to access information, exchange what we know, express our opinions, communicate with each other and more. Especially in contexts where other channels for information are regulated through law, custom or norms, the internet and related communication technologies are valuable platforms for the continued participation and engagement of ordinary people in things and issues that matter to us.