Take Back The Tech calls for your support and participation!

Join Women'sNet and Girls'Net to keep mobile phone and internet use safe from harassment, bullying and violence. 

"Keep Your Chats Exactly That!" is a campaign by Women'sNet and Girls'Net that aims to empower young people in the use of the internet and cell phones. It looks at both strategies of prevention from harassment, bullying and violence, as well as strategies for using ICTs in affirmative ways to advocate for change on issues that concern them. 

According to Women'sNet:

"The Information Age has brought about an increase in the use of technologies. This development has assisted in a quick, easy and in some instances, cheaper ways to share and disseminate information. The development of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) has assisted us to access and practice our rights, including right to access information, the right to self expression and the right to privacy. However, young people are often confronted with violent encounters in these environments. Therefore, violence becomes a hindrance in the realization of their freedom to self expression, information access and communication."

Read the concept paper to find out more about the campaign. 

In South Africa, Women'sNet and Girls'Net will be addressesing violence experienced in internet and cellular phones by raising awareness and disseminating information through the distribution of stickers, fact sheets, posters and outreach to schools, learners, parents and NGOs.

1) SMS your tactic

• Share how you've dealt with harassers and bullies before. SMS your tactic to 5 friends and ask them to send theirs on to 5 more friends. Keep the strategies growing!

2) Sticker your online space.

• Put up the campaign sticker as your profile picture on your instant messaging, social networking (e.g. MySpace, Orkut, Facebook) or blog account.
• You can download the campaign sticker here, or visit the campaign website and right click on the image to save it on your computer.

3) Join the discussion!

• Dedicate your blog post today on the issue of mobile phone, the internet, young people and safety. 
• Don't forget to tag your post as "takebackthetech" to share and amplify our voices on this issue.
• Women'sNet and Girls'Net have provided some topics for the day which can help you going if you're stuck for ideas. They include:
  • What regulations exist in ICTs, particularly phone chats and internet where you are?
  • Cellphone Social networks: What do they say about dangers and safety?
  • Gender and Information and Communication Technologies – does gender matter in cyber space?

Take Back The Tech and Keep Your Chats Exactly That! 

Happy texting :)

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Women'sNet is a feminist organisation that works to advance gender equality and justice in South Africa through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). They provide training and facilitate content dissemination and creation that supports women, girls, and women’s and gender organisations and networks to take control of their own content and ICT use. 

Girls'Net, a daughter project of Women’sNet, is a South African social and multi- media programme that gets girls involved in the use of ICTs for their own development. Their aim is to use ICTs to help girls realize their full potential.