Taking back the tech by tweeting for women´s rights

This selection of tweets circulated during the 2012 Take Back the Tech! campaign spotlights some of the key issues addressed during the 16 Days as well as relevant and provocative resources regarding violence against women and technologies.

Technology-related VAW is …

@ashsultana

Internet harassment/ Cyber bullying is found to be more traumatizing than in-persom harassment.

@SecularlyYours: Internet bullying is how the patriotic nationalist religious people deal with liberals if they can’t physically harm them.

@ashsultana

40% women have experienced dating violence delivered electronically #VAW.

@Nighatdad

Callers who threaten women in #Pakistan never get arrested because of absence of cyber law.

Harassing women into silence

@monaeltahawy

Every time a woman is attacked, and she fights back, she is the one who is vilified.

@SecularlyYours

Post an artistic picture owning your femininity and body, and you get rape threat emails saying “you are asking for it”.

I Will NOT Be Quiet! ‏@noiwillnotbe

I’ve been called slut, whore, murderer, and been threatened multiple times.

@monaeltahawy

Until one day, I’ll be brave enough to make my Twitter account public and no longer fear being attacked for my views.

@Parispective

A man who just knew my first name found me on FB even when my account is locked on public search. I feel stalked & scared.

@monaeltahawy

Almost daily, I hear from younger women who tell me they’re scared to share views on Twitter or share horrific stories of hate & bullying. 1/2

@monaeltahawy

I tell those younger women to think of their attackers as men who believe a woman has just 5mins 2 speak & that other 23:55 hrs belong 2 men. 2/2

@secularlyYours

Openly declare #secular #humanist activism while being a national of an Islamic state& your blog will flood w/ rape threats.

Agents of change not only victims

@Gulalai_Ismail

Let us not give the power of shaping our lives to the culture because we have the power to change our cultures & our lives.

@nicadoom

Women shouldn’t just be seen as victims, but active agents of change. #takebackthetech and share inspiring stories #16days

@Baahirezaman

Technology should amplify your freedoms and not create fears bit.ly/UT7DCn

@nicadoom

If someone is harassing you on the internet or using other ICTs, speak up – tell someone about what is happening.

Strategies on how to increase safety of social networking spaces

@Baahirezaman

Read! Very important! Various social networks have ample privacy settings but we just dont read and apply!

@ihatevista

Use #retroshare #p2p #secure Voip (windows) http://bit.ly/SLU8Gl Keep public profiles open but private messaging on this.

@ONOrobot

Find out about Your Digital Shadow: Being Present, But Safe http://bit.ly/Soo3RC .