Take Back The Tech! Reclaiming ICT to end violence against women

Take Back The Tech! is a 16-day campaign initiated by APC WNSP in 2006. From 25 November to 10 December every year, ICT users, communication rights advocates, feminist and women's rights activists reclaim ICT to end violence against women. Local and independent campaigns have sprung up in numerous countries and spaces, sharing priorities, knowledge and activism on this issue.

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 perspectives of masculinities.


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 to completely enjoy our human rights
and fundamental freedoms. Our right to move freely without
harassment or threats to safety also applies to digital
spaces.


This 16-day campaign aims to engage greater
participation by all civil society, especially grrls and
women ICT-users, to think about this issue in diverse contexts
and realities. By calling for all users to reclaim control
over technology, we are asking for the right to define,
access, use and shape ICTs for its potential to transform
power relations, towards a vision and reality of equality. 
Subscribe to the Take Back The Tech mailing list here.

Resources available:

Information about VAW &
ICTs ICT tips and tools to counter
VAW onlineMedia library with digital stories, aggregated blog posts, video shorts, digital postcards and more
Space for discussion and
exchange to build knowledge & discourse - join our mailing list! Campaign kit and materials to start your own campaign
Platform for your ideas and
campaign actions & connecting with other spaces, people, info & strategies