brief

What is this action?

A collaborative campaign to reclaim information & communications technologies (ICTs) to end violence against women (VAW).
A call to everyone - especially grrls and women - to take control of ICTs and consciously use it to change power relations between men and women.
For 16 Days (Nov 25 - Dec 10), to enable users to employ ICTs for activism against VAW.

More information about the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence

Why "Take Back The Tech"?

Creating digital spaces that protects everyone’s right to move freely, without harassment or threat to safety (echoing "Take Back The Night" campaigns).
Realising our rights to shape, define, participate, use & share knowledge, information and ICTs.
Addressing the intersections between communication rights and women’s human rights, especially violence against women.
Recognising women’s historical and critical participation and contribution to the development of ICTs (e.g. Ada Lovelace, Grace Hopper...)

What are the goals of this action?

Build knowledge on how VAW is connected with ICTs, based on diverse experiences and realities.
Support and promote local actions, priorities and advocacy issues on VAW & ICTs in different spaces and contexts.
Collaboratively create strategies on using ICTs tactically to counter VAW.
Changing the landscape, potential & paradigm of ICTs through active participation.
To facilitate movement building on the human rights of women in relation to the field of ICTs.

Who to speak to?

Web communities and users
Advocates against VAW
Women's rights defenders
People who profit from VAW
Media, information & news providers
Policy and law makers

Who will take action?

Ordinary ICTs users - grrl, woman, female ICTs users
ICTs developers
Information provider & disseminator
Content creators
Knowledge builders

Basically anyone who from librarians, lecturers, writers, techies, geek grrls, bloggers, emailers, SMSers, trainers, storytellers, poets, writers, web managers, theorists, graffiti artists, photographers....

What resources are available?

How can you take back the tech? (some suggestions)

Put up a campaign banner on your site.
Come up with ideas for action that can be taken in the 16 days.
Think of networks or initiatives or online communities you know that will take on the campaign and localise this!
Share video clips, audio files, images, graphics, doodles & other kinds of content.
Submit tools or write guides that you think are useful.
Translate resources into your own languages
Write, blog, talk, document – join ka-BLOG! or create your own blogging community and tactics.
Discuss & build knowledge on this issue from your experiences and strategies dealing with VAW online.
Make your own campaign icons. Create new imagery

Or start a local campaign!

Brainstorm with a few people whom you think might be interested to raise this issue in your town, community, country or region
What are the urgent issues in terms of VAW & ICTs?
What’s the one change you’d like to see happen, and how can the campaign help achieve that?
Think of simple, creative & concrete actions, or just get a few people together to take daily actions collectively
Don't forget to share your campaign :)

Questions to initiate action

What are your thoughts of this action?
Can you take part in it?
What do you need to take back control of ICTs? (access? community? information? strategies?)
What do you see is missing?
How can you take back the tech?
What can you do online? What spaces do you have access to?
How do you use technology now?
What tactics can you implement for 16 Days to highlight the connection between ICTs and VAW?

next: campaign toolbox - images, tagging & other useful stuff to help build your campaign!

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