December 04, 2006
GUEST BLOGGER: Kara Santos (WFS Philippines)
"If I had a lie detector, I could have left sooner," writes e of Malaysia.
This is just one entry to the digital postcard campaign that "connects the dots" between modern technology tools and violence against women .
Technology tools like radios, the internet, digital cameras, mobile phones, webcams, blogs and videogames can make women's lives much easier. But the same tools can also be used to degrade them.
Trafficking, pornography, sexual abuse and harassment are just some forms of violence against women that have evolved in the recent years because of the rise of modern technology.
The Commission Against Trafficking in Asia and the Pacific (CATW-AP) reports that the use of info technology to recruit victims of trafficking are on the rise.
In Angeles, Pampanga (a hotspot for trafficking and sex trade), pedophiles are increasingly using the Internet to lure other pedophiles to come to the Philippines . Live video streaming on the Web show children being sexually abused. Other pedophiles browse personal profiles or lurk in chat rooms to find their victims.
PCIJ reports that technology has also enhanced voyeurism in the Philippines, with video recordable tools increasing the ability to capture intimate videos or tape others without their knowledge .
Celebrity sex tapes are spread on the internet, nude photos are sent via MMS on mobile phones, while private sex videos can be shared via Bluetooth or Youtube, a popular video sharing website. Sex scandals are compiled in pirated DVDs by school (the La Salle Scandal, UST Scandal) or province/city (the Makati scandal, the Dumaguete scandal) and sold on sidewalks. In some cases the videos are completely fabricated, exploiting the "flavor of the month", as in the case of the Subic rape scandal DVD portraying rape victim "Nicole" as a prostitute.
To combat this, women from all around the world are reclaiming their rights and "taking back the tech" to take control of information communications technology (ICT), and use it in activism to eliminate violence against women. This is in line with the 16 days of activism against gender violence (celebrated globally from November 25 to December 10).
The campaign is initiated by The Association for Progressive Communications, Women's Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP), a global network of women who support networking for social change and women's empowerment, through the use of information and communication technology (ICTs).
Here are some suggestions how you can help out the 16 Days of Activism campaign:
Send someone an SMS on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
Change your email signature to www.takebackthetech.net
Change the homepage on cyber cafe computers to webpages/resources that teach women's empowerment
Snap a picture to change the image of women in digital spaces
Take photos of abusers, perpetrators and post them online or on Flickr sites with the appropriate tags.
Build knowledge & share what you know to help other women (through guides, FAQs, etc.)
Bookmark good links and resources on VAW for others to use
Participate in digital storytelling
Make videos that can interrupt violence against women
Change your YM status message or email signature into something that provokes thought in your network of friends and acquaintances.
For questions and submissions on campaign ideas, visit www.takebackthetech.net or email ideas AT takebackthetech DOT net
"If I had a lie detector, I could have left sooner," writes e of Malaysia.
This is just one entry to the digital postcard campaign that "connects the dots" between modern technology tools and violence against women .
Technology tools like radios, the internet, digital cameras, mobile phones, webcams, blogs and videogames can make women's lives much easier. But the same tools can also be used to degrade them.
Trafficking, pornography, sexual abuse and harassment are just some forms of violence against women that have evolved in the recent years because of the rise of modern technology.
The Commission Against Trafficking in Asia and the Pacific (CATW-AP) reports that the use of info technology to recruit victims of trafficking are on the rise.
In Angeles, Pampanga (a hotspot for trafficking and sex trade), pedophiles are increasingly using the Internet to lure other pedophiles to come to the Philippines . Live video streaming on the Web show children being sexually abused. Other pedophiles browse personal profiles or lurk in chat rooms to find their victims.
PCIJ reports that technology has also enhanced voyeurism in the Philippines, with video recordable tools increasing the ability to capture intimate videos or tape others without their knowledge .
Celebrity sex tapes are spread on the internet, nude photos are sent via MMS on mobile phones, while private sex videos can be shared via Bluetooth or Youtube, a popular video sharing website. Sex scandals are compiled in pirated DVDs by school (the La Salle Scandal, UST Scandal) or province/city (the Makati scandal, the Dumaguete scandal) and sold on sidewalks. In some cases the videos are completely fabricated, exploiting the "flavor of the month", as in the case of the Subic rape scandal DVD portraying rape victim "Nicole" as a prostitute.
To combat this, women from all around the world are reclaiming their rights and "taking back the tech" to take control of information communications technology (ICT), and use it in activism to eliminate violence against women. This is in line with the 16 days of activism against gender violence (celebrated globally from November 25 to December 10).
The campaign is initiated by The Association for Progressive Communications, Women's Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP), a global network of women who support networking for social change and women's empowerment, through the use of information and communication technology (ICTs).
Here are some suggestions how you can help out the 16 Days of Activism campaign:
For questions and submissions on campaign ideas, visit www.takebackthetech.net or email ideas AT takebackthetech DOT net
Labels: culture, media, technology
