From 25 November to 10 December 2006, APC Women’s Networking SupportProgramme (APC WNSP) advocated and worked with many organisations and like-minded groups to TAKE BACK THE TECH! For 16 days,this campaign engaged many globally to think about how their use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) can work to eliminate, or perpetuate violence against women (VAW).
The root cause of VAW lies in unequal power relations between men and women in almost all facets of life. The field of ICTs faces the same gender disparity. As a result, digital spaces like the internet,broadcast and telecommunications have become defined and developed according to dominant masculist perspectives. This means that VAW that happened in physical spaces like the home and streets, are now also taking new forms and occurring in digital spaces. For example, domestic violence abusers have used tools like spyware and GPS to track and control their partner's mobility. APC WNSP believes that both ICTs and VAW affect our capacity tocompletely enjoy our human rights and fundamental freedoms. Our right to move freely without harassment or threats to safety also applies todigital spaces. This 16-day campaign aimed to reclaim our right to shape,define, participate, use and share all aspects related to ICTs. The continue to ask us are asking you to Take Back The Tech!, and re-create a vision and reality oftechnology that is founded on equality.
TAKE BACK THE TECH! www.takebackthetech.net
