APC at the 12th AWID International Forum

APC members and staff will be participating at the 12th AWID International Forum on Women’s Rights in Development in Istanbul, Turkey from 19-22 April 2012. The theme of the 12th AWID Forum is “Transforming Economic Power to Advance Women’s Rights and Justice”, and APC Women's Networking Support Programme will be hosting a number of workshops as well as a pre-events on the feminist practices and politics of the internet.

What is the 12th AWID International Forum?

The 12th AWID International Forum, will gather up to 2000 women’s rights leaders and activists from around the world from April 19 to 22, 2012 at the Halic Congress Center in Istanbul, Turkey. The theme of the 12th AWID Forum is “Transforming Economic Power to Advance Women’s Rights and Justice”: how economic power is impacting on women, their rights and the planet? Read more on the theme here.

Why is it important?

The Forum is both a conference and a call to action, and it is the largest recurring event of its kind. It brings together women’s rights leaders and activists from around the world to strategise, network, celebrate, and learn, and re-politicize the gender and development community.

Where can you meet us?

1. Pre-events on feminist practices and politics of the internet:

• 16-17 April: Dialogue on digital security and women's human rights defenders
  
  APC is hosting a global dialogue on digital security and women human rights defenders to strengthen experiences and expertise of organisations working on digital security, freedom of expression and association. It will examine how to effectively respond to capacity building needs, engage in evidence building and coordinate responses to advocacy for women's right to association and freedom of expression online.


• 18 April: Feminist Tech Exchange (FTX)
  
  Venue: Okalip Toplantı Hizmetleri A.Ş, Şişli İstanbul; 9:00 – 18:00.
  
  FTX @ AWID Forum 2012 is where feminist activists can come together to deepen our knowledge in the politics and practice of technology. The FTX features hands-on skills-building, creative ideas exchange, and feminist tech talks in the 2012 theme Privacy & Security, an increasingly critical issue faced by feminist and women's rights advocates.

2. Activities at the AWID:

APC’s break out sessions:

• 20 April: Harnessing the Power-Politics of Information: The New Edge for Women's Empowerment
  
  Venue & time: Kasimpasa 5, Comms Hub ; 16:30 - 18:00
  
  Small organisations and community evaluative thinking to leverage small grants with strategic ICT use can literally put economic power into women's hands. The workshop brings together diverse women's rights activists to share their experiences on the politics of small grants and innovative ideas in advancing women's rights.
  
  Speakers: Maria Suarez Toro Escribanas (Costa Rica), Nighat Dad (Pakistan), Francoise Mukutu (DRC), Angela Kuga Thas (Malaysia), Amina Doherty (Caribbean).


• 21 April: Don't miss this talkshow! Commodification of rights: Privacy and Pleasure Inc.
  
  Venue & time: Sutluce III; 11:30 – 13:00
  
  Companies like Facebook are increasingly being invested with the power to protect a broad range of women's human rights. Our data helps consolidate their power, but what is at risk when rights are traded for profit? What can feminists do about it? Activists from diverse countries share insights and actions around sexuality, privacy, violence and the internet.
  
  Speakers: Nighat Dad (Pakistan), Nadine Moawad (Lebanon), Valentina Pellizzer (Bosnia-Herzegovina). Moderator: Jan Moolman (South Africa)


• 21 April: Pursuing sexual freedom online - findings from the Exploratory Research on Sexuality and the Internet (EROTICS)
  
  Venue & time: Sutluce II; 14:30-16:00
  
  The mobilisation of anxieties about sexuality has led to policies addressing online sexual content. Researchers of the EROTICS project will share their findings on the ways hysteria has promoted sexually repressive policies, and strategies of resistance based on agency and community mobilisation. If you are working on sexual rights and use the internet for your activism, don't miss this session!
  
  Speakers: Nicolene McLean (South Africa), Melissa Hope (USA), Maya Indira Ganesh (India), Jandira Cavalcanti (Brasil). Moderator: Jac sm Kee (Malaysia).

APC as co-organizator:

• 21-22 April: Security Clinics @ The Feminist ICT Hub
  
  Venue: Feminist ICT Hub
  
  Bring your questions about online security and privacy to the daily security clinics at the AWID Feminist ICT Hub. Organised by APC WNSP in partnership with Tactical Tech and Frontline Defenders. The security clinics run for 45 minutes each day:
  
  21 April, 17:00 -18:00 : Good privacy and security practices for feminist activists
  
  22 April,10:00-11:00: E-mail encryption
  
  22 April , 12:00 - 13:00: Https everywhere and safe browsing
  
  22 April, 15:00-16:00 : Mobile phones and security

APC’s women as speaker:

• 19 April: How increasing access and availability of the Internet has transformed the way knowledge is produced and shared (Feminist Economics Toolbox sessions)
  
  Venue & time: Sutluce 1, 11:30 – 13:00 (organised by AWID)
  
  What does it mean for women’s rights that most online platforms and services are owned by a few transnational corporations? How do international copyright agreements, data protection and privacy affect our advocacy? Who governs the Internet, content and data we produce and exchange, and how can feminists engage with and participate in this process?
  
  Speaker: Jac sm Kee


• 21 April:Visioning Cultures Free From Violence (Breakout session)
  
  Venue & time: Kasimpasa 5, Comms Hub ; 11:30 – 13:00 (organised by Violence is Not our Culture Campaign)
  
  An interactive exploration of feminist and youth-led responses to culturally-justified violence against women, using visual arts and media advocacy. Join us for a short film screening, digital-story telling workshop, and hands-on creative session. Bring your smartphones and cameras to create your own critical media against gender based violence!
  
  Speakers: Jennifer Radloff, Erika Smith


• 20 April:  Changing World Geopolitics and Global Governance: Making sense of the trends, actors and their implications for women’s rights (In Depth-Session)
  
  Venue & time: Fener Auditorium, 14.30-16.00(organised by AWID)
  
  This session will look at some of the actors and institutions (new and old) defining what global governance looks like today. It will provide space for brainstorming our vision of future global governance to advance women’s rights, justice, environmental sustainability and human rights.
  
  Speaker: Jac sm Kee

APC’s speakers & partners in main plenaries:

• 21 April: Experiences of Resistance and Collective Organizing to Transform Economic Power
  
  Venue & time: Halic Auditorium, 9:00-11:00
  
  The previous AWID Forum focused on the “Power of Movements”. This plenary will return to that theme, and you will hear some of the experiences of diverse movements that are confronting and resisting dominant forms of economic power and who are organizing creatively to build their own power.
  
  Speakers: Manal Hassan (Egypt)

3. Join us virtually, too!

Live coverage: Engage in discussions about feminist internet politics and practice at the 12th AWID Forum at www.genderit.org/awid2012.

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