By Jessica Reed
The private is made public thanks to Take Back the Tech! (official site here), an online initiative which helps spreading the word about the 16 Days against gender violence campaign. Blogs are largely used not only as strong community builders; they also help strengthen networks which seek to inform women about their rights via digital means.
As a feminist blogger, I see the blogosphere as an incredible tool to keep both activists and writers up to date on a year-round basis: virtual communities often provides readers extremely valuable advice and feedback, sometimes even acting as a support group while blog collectives are especially helpful for girls, women (and even men) who want to connect and explore feminist issues and their own lives in context thanks to writing and discussion.
Here are some Take Back the Tech! participants that I think are worth pointing out:
- Hundreds of women made private public by testifying about street sexual harassment in the "Blank Noise Project Blogathon" in India.
- In New Mexico, USA, the "Domestic Violence Virtual Trial" helps judges and court staff learn about issues and challenges in VAW cases, and compare rulings with colleagues.
- Paroles de Femmes/Womyn's voices is a website dedicated to help women to use technology in the name of equality
- Last but not least: ka-BLOG! is a 16-day blog fest for the Take Back the Tech Campaign. It is open to anyone and everyone - girls, boys, everyone beyond and more — who wants to share their thoughts.
