WUNRN
http://www.apc.org/en/node/15007/
End Violence: Women's Rights & Safety Online
Participants
will log incidences of violence using this mapping platform
Since 2005 APC
been working to strengthen the capacity of women’s rights activists and
organisations to use technology tools in their work to end violence against
women and to respond to the growing incidence of technology-related violence
against women. The most common cases documented were cyberstalking, sexual harassment,
surveillance and the unauthorized use and manipulation of personal information
including images and videos. We found that while these violations are
increasing, women and girls who fall victim do not know what to do to stop the
abuse, what charges they can report, who they should report to and what help
they can get. In many countries policies, regulations or services that respond
to these new forms of violence do not exist or are inadequate.
Preventing
technology-related VAW is an important component in ending violence against
women today and contributes to creating a safe and secure environment for women
and girls in every sphere of life.
From
2012-2014, the APC community has built on the collective experience and
successes of its previous work on
technology and violence against women through support from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affair’s
(DGIS) Funding Leadership and Opportunities for Women (FLOW) Fund. Our project
“End violence: women’s rights and safety online” will build on APC’s trajectory
in the anti-VAW struggle and existing partnerships to enhance women’s safety
and security by preventing the growing violence against women through ICTs.
How will we do
it?
The project is
being implemented in seven countries through a combination of strategies that
contribute towards ending violence against women through building women’s
leadership and ensuring women’s rights and safety online. Our strategies
include:
1. Gathering
evidence by documenting, reporting, monitoring and analysing technology-related
violence against women. Visit the country maps to see how we
are doing it.
Overall
aggregated map: www.takebackthetech.net/mapit/
Bosnia
Herzegovina: http://ba.takebackthetech.net/mapit/
Colombia: https://co.takebackthetech.net/mapit/main
Democratic
Republic of Congo: http://cd.takebackthetech.net/mapit/
Kenya: http://ke.takebackthetech.net/mapit/
Mexico: http://mx.dominemoslatecnologia.net
Pakistan: http://pk.takebackthetech.net/mapit/
Philippines: http://ph.takebackthetech.net/mapit/
2. Building
women’s leadership to engage with national policy-makers, judges, lawyers and
other key actors in identifying remedies that may be available in current laws
and regulations and, where needed, develop new policies that seek to protect
women’s rights including their safety and security.
3. Building
women’s ability to influence internet and telecommunications businesses such as
social networking platforms, web hosting companies and mobile phone operators
to develop corporate user policies and practices that respect women’s rights.
This includes the adequate representation of women in policy-making and
standards-setting processes and ensuring that policies and standards consider
the safety and security of users.
4. Campaigning
to create an online environment and culture that affirms everyone’s right to
safety and security. Such an online culture would not tolerate behaviour and
practices that are harmful and violent to women and girls. It will include
targeted solidarity actions and engage young people.
5.
Strengthening the institutional capacity of women’s rights organisations to
become leaders in addressing technology-related VAW through change in their own
organisational practice.
What countries
are involved?
The
programme’s activities will be carried out with our partners in the following
countries:
Bosnia and
Herzegovina (OneWorldsee)
Colombia (Colnodo)
Democratic Republic of the Congo (Si Jeunesse Savait)
Kenya (KICTAnet and the International Association of Women in Radio and
Television)
Mexico
Philippines (Foundation for Media Alternatives)
Pakistan (Bytes for All)
Who will
benefit?
The project
targets women leaders—leaders of women’s rights organisations, women in the
technology industry, community leaders, young women peer leaders and
opinion-makers—as well as women’s rights organisations that are already active
in implementing interventions and advocacy strategies to address violence
against women and defend women’s rights.
Project
outcomes?
· A reliable and effective system of reporting
and evidence collection in 7 countries that strengthens leadership of women to
address technology related VAW.
· Remedies and policies that address technology
related VAW are developed through research and advocacy by women leaders and
women’s rights organisations.
· Women leaders are effectively engaging
private sector (social networking providers, webhosting companies and mobile
phone companies), in partnership with other expert NGOs to develop company user
policies that protect the safety and security of women and girls.
· Women and girls are leading campaigns to
mobilise users to create an online culture that does not tolerate online
behaviour that is harmful and violent to women and girls.
· Institutional capacity of women’s rights
organisations to address technology related VAW is strengthened in a
sustainable way.
More related
information:
· All about the research From impunity to justice: Exploring
corporate and legal remedies for technology-related violence against women
· More articles in GenderIT.org
Project
reports:
· UN Universal
Periodic Review: Submission on internet-related human rights issues in Mexico
· WRP presentation
to the UN Working Group on Discrimination Against Women in Law and Public Life
Country
baseline reports 2012
· Baseline study:
Technology related violence against women in Bosnia and Herzegovina
· Baseline study:
Legal and regulatory framework in Colombia on VAW and ICT – Executive summary
· Baseline study:
Report on VAW and its reporting system in Philippines
Programmes
Women's Rights
Programme (WRP)
Members Involved
Foundation for
Media Alternatives (FMA)
OneWorld
Platform for Southeast Europe Foundation (OWPSEE)
Funders