At the last Association of Women in Development Forum (AWID), I was one of a group of feminists that participated in a ‘Feminist Tech Exchange’, and since then I have been even more excited about the opportunity that technology holds for women’s empowerment – women can publish and share their own stories via the vast expanse of social media technologies that exist today, a woman at risk of violence can send an SMS asking for help, women’s rights organisation use Facebook, Twitter and You Tube (just to name a few) to spread their messages of women’s empowerment. Clearly technology is powerful and even more important in today’s world.
Yet so many women especially on the African continent do not have access to technology, even when women have access to technology, the poorly developed communications infrastructure (extremely slow internet and high communication charges for e.g.) means that women are not able to keep up with the rapid rate of technology. Unfortunately, technology has also become another tool for violence…many of the new technologies that aid in message dissemination are also being used for cyber stalking and cyber bullying. This is where ‘Take Back the Tech’ comes in. ‘Take Back the Tech’ advocated taking back control of technology to end violence against women. So I say, tell your stories, document, disseminate and take back control of technology.
Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah
Communications Officer
Thank you, Nana! The Take Back the Tech! campaign is in full swing again this year accompanying the 16 Days of Activism and we’re really excited to read this post. Since the Feminist Tech Exchange you went to we’ve had a lot of local, country-level exchanges and women in Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, Uganda, Pakistan…. the list is too long to mention… But participants have been making digital stories, print media and videos about the interconnections between technology and violence and how to use ICT to end violence. It is so great that even two years down the road you think the FTX was an important experience. A lot of the digital stories about VAW are on the http://www.takebackthetech.net site, and also this year we’ve launched a short animated video – hope you have a moment to visit it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCwK8Y1Unr4. Thanks for taking back the tech with us!!!!
My partner for Eclipx Int’l has also used technology (FB) to spread the message taken from the blurb we have developed to map out all the activities that need to feature in our work.
The yes we can read initiative derived from a myriad of research work done to tackle lack of reading skills in youngsters in the Gambia. The idea of eclipx derived from some reading tests that we did a while ago, 2007 when we discovered that many School leavers skill-less and can not speak average English. Spelling is a major issue let alone writing.
To empower young girls in the Gambia to say no to early marriages, trafficking, violence and rape, we need to equip them fully. The only way we can do that is by encouraging and initiating learning method especially the disadvantaged groups. Our initiative is still young and funding prove to be an issue right now.
We want to be able to provide them a space for learning and development and technology is the fastest way to do so. But first we have to make sure we have the resources to enhance their capacity and learn about Whistle Blowing because it is their right to let others know of their ordeal. Young Girls need to be safeguarded.
partner for Eclipx Int’l has also used technology (FB) to spread the message taken from the blurb we have developed to map out all the activities that need to feature in our work.
The yes we can read initiative derived from a myriad of research work done to tackle lack of reading skills in youngsters in the Gambia. The idea of eclipx derived from some reading tests that we did a while ago, 2007 when we discovered that many School leavers are skill-less and can not speak average English. Spelling is a major issue let alone writing.
To empower young girls in the Gambia to say no to early marriages, trafficking, violence and rape, we need to equip them fully. The only way we can do that is by encouraging and initiating learning method especially the disadvantaged groups. Our initiative is still young and funding prove to be an issue right now.
We want to be able to provide them a space for learning and development and technology is the fastest way to do so. But first we have to make sure we have the resources to enhance their capacity and learn about Whistle Blowing because it is their right to let others know of their ordeal. Young Girls need to be safeguarded and thought about their basic human rights in the Gambia.
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hello nana darkoa!
this is really interesting. i would want to know more about the organisations in Africa making use of social media to mitigate violence against women or for the development of women in the continent. Can you share some such organisations with me, please?
thank you,
juanita
It is one step forward let us join Hands then
LEt me Know such Social networks for Fight Against Violence Against Women