Take Back the Tech! started in November 2006 with a small but important idea: the increasing availability and reliance on new information technologies was transforming them into a political space, urgently in need of a feminist lens for engagement, understanding and envisioning. Women's contributions to the historical development of internet technologies were getting lost and forgotten, the reality of violence faced by women and girls all over the world was already seeping into online spaces and was not being given the attention needed.
On 25 November 2011, Take Back The Tech! campaign has launched an interactive map based that allows internet users to share their stories, local news and personal experiences of gender-based violence they faced online or through the use of mobile phone technologies. As of 7 December, it has recorded 103 stories from across the globe, with the majority of stories coming from Africa, Latin America and Asia. Sonia Randhawa is drawning on the data collected through the mapping platform and looking at some trends these data reveal to us about the technology-related violence against women.
Dalia Othman, a researcher and human rights activist, reports on new initiative in Ramallah, Pakistan, that uses online mapping and mobile phone technology to allow women to combat sexual harassment in the streets.
The initiative began in October 2011 with an invitation to an open meeting in Ramallah, publicised through word of mouth and social networks. More than 70 men and women showed their concern about sexual harassment in the city by taking part. The diverse group included staff from Palestinian women’s organisations, other members of Ramallah’s civil society and many people with their own stories of harassment.
Residents of Ramallah and visitors noted that there are isolated individuals who act inappropriately towards men and women in public spaces. It is important to set apart these “bad elements” and give support to people using the streets of Ramallah.
If we want to tackle the problem of gender-based violence online, we need to develop a strong evidence base, argues Grady Johnson in this article. At the risk of revisiting old traumas, we need to women to document the scope of the problem, so that the gravity of the situation can no longer be denied. Most of all, we need good numbers if we hope to make good policies.
The problem of gender-based violence is not new. However, it seems that this discrimination along gender lines is not only replicated, but in fact deepened, through information and communications technologies. All states have pledged to take proactive and concrete measures towards ending discrimination and violence against women as part of their MDG3 goals. But are they living up to this commitment?
Feminist campaigners and activists have raised the question of the possible conflicts between the "I don't forward violence" action and the push to map gender-based violence. Do they contradict each other? How can we report on violence without spreading it, and forcing victims to relive their experience?
A valid question. And a tough one. The short answer is we can't. Worse, by showing the sheer extent of gender-based violence worldwide, both its volume and its ferocity, we run the risk of "normalizing" this behaviour. This is something we absolutely do not want.
GenderIT.org's writer, Sonia Randhawa, spoke with senior fellow at Privacy International Gus Hosein about how mobile devices and their ability to map our movements are intruding on personal privacy and individual autonomy.
Sonia Randhawa (SR):There have been privacy concerns over the mapping technology of various mobile devices, and I have seen that Privacy International has released various publications on the use of smartphones. Could you explain some of the issues here?
That old fortune teller game from our childhood put to a new use as a privacy catcher. This video shows you how to make one but more important is playing it. Ask your friends questions about why the government or police might be interested in someone’s Facebook page, or if it could be a problem that a boyfriend or girlfriend knows the passwords of their partners, and what that might mean for email or chat exchanges. Make a privacy catcher for yourself! http://takebackthetech.net/take-action/2011/12/7
Like any tool, ICTs can be tremendously useful, but dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. This is doubly true for activists and women's rights defenders. Jennifer Radloff and Erika Smith spoke to participants from one of our secure online communications for women human rights defenders workshops, who shared their own experience with ICTs and what they've learned from the training.
There are a number of issues with online security in relation to activism - whether we are using mobile phones, sending emails, or if we are recording conversations and sharing them. How can we use technology securely for activism? What are the regulations or policies that could potentially affect those communications?
For example, the cost of communication via internet is really high in South Africa - so if the government expects people to access information around HIV/AIDS or reproductive health cheaply then they are going to have to lower the costs of communication. We also need to think about where people access this information: young people who don't have access at home, they have to go to a public library. In many libraries there aren't even books let alone computers. So what are the creative ways that they can access information and what tools (ie. mobile phone, village or school library) can they use?
And what happens when you go to the library and you search for information on lesbian rights and you leave the computer and you haven't shut down the browser and someone sees who you are? These are the kinds of issues we have to contend with.
SMS services have been suspended in the Democratic Republic of Congo, allegedly to prevent the spread of electoral related rumours. Mobile services providers and media in DRC announced on November 4th, that by order of the Government, SMS services had been suspended in order to prevent people from sharing results before being are announced by the Elections Commission.
As a global civil society network advocating on internet rights, Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and its network of partners in DRC deplore this move and urge the Government to explore other options for combating potential fraud. Cutting access to communications is a violation of the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of information protected under DRC constitution and under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The decision to cut these services is particularly troubling during the global campaign of 16 Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women. Both internet and SMS services are crucial to women facing violence.
Women’s rights organisations in the DRC are part of a global 16 days of activism initiative called Take Back the Tech!, which aims to bring an end to violence against women through the use of technology. This campaign can be significantly affected by the move to cut access to SMS services. Campaign partners in the DRC use internet and mobile phone technology to help report cases of violence against women and can have a positive impact in addressing violence against women in the country.
As one of the most accessible and widest form of communication tools available, mobile phones are extremely important to women and girls, who rely on their mobile phones to communicate and get immediate help and support when violence occurs. Cutting off SMS services disproportionately impacts the communication rights of the poorer sections of Congolese society, of which women and girls make up the majority of the demographic.
Take Back the Tech! and our partners strongly urge authorities in the DRC to look into other ways to ensure that elections are free and fair. Cutting communications is likely to breed suspicion, fuel rumour mills and contribute to uncertainty and violence. This would directly go against the aim of protecting the electoral process.
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Take Bach the Tech! Is a collaborative campaign that takes place during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence (25 Nov – 10 Dec). It is a call to everyone – especially women and girls – to take control of technology to end violence against women. To find out more, go to: www.takebackthetech.net
About APC: The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) is an international network and non-profit organisation founded in 1990 that wants everyone to have access to a free and open internet to improve lives and create a more just world. www.apc.org
The net is not neutral. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the experience of women bloggers. Over the last few weeks, bloggers and journalists have been sharing disturbing and surreal stories of cyber harassment. Of course, every writer should expect criticism; this is the internet, after all. But what's different about women bloggers is the sickening extent of the harassment that they -- indeed, any woman with an online presence -- must contend with on a daily basis.
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.
At the same time, violence is also taking place online. Cases of online harassment, cyberstalking, violation of privacy and violence targeted at groups of people online due to their gender or sexual identity and politics are growing. Worse, many of these experiences remain untold and undocumented. Their invisibility and our seeming acceptance inflect online spaces and practices with a culture that seems willing to tolerate acts of violence against women.
This year we call on campaigners to collectively gather evidence for transformation, strengthen our capacity for safer experiences online and amplify our rights in addressing technology-related violence against women. Take control of technology to end violence against women.
How can you take back the tech?
1) Map your story
Share your experiences and knowledge on technology-related violence against women. Tell your own stories, ask someone you know to share hers, or join with others to document cases that have appeared in the news. Every story is important.
Map it on the Take Back the Tech! online platform and collectively build a body of evidence on the reality and dimensions of violence that takes places online and through mobile phones against women and girls. Make the invisible visible and demand for change.
We will be focussing on 5 areas of violence against women with detailed instructions on how to take action and document your stories during the 16 days. They are:
a. Culturally-justified violence against women (25 November 2011)
Cultural norms and attitudes support the perpetuation of violence against women in hidden and explicit ways. It can be something as thoughtless as forwarding a sexist joke that supports the idea that women are less valuable than men and are nothing more than mute sexualised objects, to starting a Facebook group that promotes different ways to rape girlfriends. How has culture played a role in acts of violence against women where you are?
b. Online harassment and cyberstalking (28 November 2011)
Mobile phones, social networking spaces like Orkut and geolocation tools like Foursquare have helped us stay connected with each other. At the same time, they have been used by abusers to track our networks, friends, movements and activities. Countless women all over the world have received harassing SMS messages and become fearful of being watched by people who mean them harm, which affects their ability to freely and fully participate in their societies. Have you experienced or heard of cases of online harassment or cyberstalking? Share your story.
Take Back the Tech!
Take control of technology to end violence against women
25 Nov – 10 Dec 2011 www.takebackthetech.net
c. Intimate partner violence (1 December 2011)
Technology has enabled couples to express themselves to each other by creating and documenting private moments and communication through video, photographs and more. But intimate partners rarely discuss privacy issues, such as when to delete private images, and what happens when the relationship breaks down. Women’s rights organisations have received increasing calls from women who are afraid to leave abusive relationships due to threats of disclosure of private and intimate communications by their partners. How do you see technology in the context of intimate partner violence?
d. Sexual assault and rape (4 December 2011)
Boys and girls in a school in South Africa stood by when one of their schoolmates was raped in front of them. Not only did they fail to intervene, they recorded the rape with their mobile phones and passed the images around. In another case, a woman in the US was raped when a former boyfriend posted personal information about her on an online ad listing that called for “a real aggressive man with no concern for women.” Technology can play a role in perpetuating violence by endless copying and widespread distribution, or by helping perpetrators seek or post false information about their
victims. Has it happened where you are?
e. Violence targeting communities because of their gender or sexual identity and politics (7 December 2011)
The websites of many women’s rights organisations have been hacked because of their stance on gender equality and feminism. Women bloggers who were outspoken about discrimination have also faced overwhelming attacks and messages that aim to disrupt their ability to express themselves online. Online communities and groups have been set up that call for violence against groups of people because of their gender or sexual identity, including transgenders, pro-choice advocates and lesbians. Do you know of any instances where technology has been used to target a community because of their gender or sexual identity and politics?
2. Strengthen your skills
The more we understand how interneti technology and services work, the more we can take control and shape the online spaces we occupy. How can you use internet and communication technologies in a way that protects your privacy and safety? What are some strategies and tools that are available?
We will be sharing resources and how-tos throughout the 16 days on secure online communication tools and practices. They include information on geolocation and tagging, social networking use and practices, mobile phones security, portable apps and good privacy practices in online communication.
Build your skills, add to the pool of knowledge, teach someone, share the resources and recommend changes to technology platforms that prioritise privacy and security for all users.
3. Exercise your rights online
Technology-related violence against women creates unsafe online spaces that compromise our ability to freely express ourselves, access information and build communities. They violate our rights to privacy, autonomy, bodily integrity and security. This in turn, impacts on our ability to fully participate in shaping the society we live in.
Define technology that supports the fulfillment of women’s human rights!
During the 16 days, take creative action that amplifies our collective stance on the promotion of rights on the internet. Join us throughout the campaign period, or start your own campaign.
Here are some ideas:
1) Create digital postcards that unmask cultural justifications of violence against women and send them to your Minister.
2) Change the script of sexist ads by creating your own subtitles and spread them on social networking spaces.
3) Start a viral campaign to demand for better privacy protection from online service providers.
4) Make a list of top feminist children’s storybooks. Pass it to your local library.
5) Occupy online spaces and populate them with icons, messages and calls for an end to violence against women.
6) Start a #16days twitter dialogue on promoting women’s rights online.
Share your campaign idea! Send us an email on ideas@takebackthetech.net, or tweet us: @takebackthetech.
If you are interested in starting a local Take Back the Tech! campaign, or wish to organise any of the activities above, contact us and we’ll be more than happy to brainstorm with you and feature your action.
On 17 August, Women’s Net hosted a public seminar in partnership with Media Monitoring Africa titled: “When Technology Hurts: How Technology is changing Experiences of Violence”, coupled with a tweet-up with #techvaw. Women’sNet has been doing work in South Africa looking at the role that technology play in women’s rights and gender equality; and has observed in the past years a growing trend where technology is implicated in acts of violence, especially in perpetrating violence against women.
