16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence

Posted November 20th, 2007 by dorothy

Join us to Speak Out, Stand Out, and Commit to preventing Violence against Women during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, November 25 - December 10, 2007

With your participation, WOUGNET in collaboration with Womensnet, South Africa and APC-Africa-Women, will be conducting an SMS-based campaign. The idea is to send out an SMS on each of the 16 Days of Activism that will allow individuals and organisations to Speak Out, Stand Out, and Commit to preventing Violence against Women.

We would like you to send your slogan which highlights your resistance to violence against women.

You can participate in any or all of the following ways:

Contribute a short message or slogan on the theme of the campaign. If your slogan is chosen, it will be sent out via SMS with you/your organisation credited as the source of the message. It will also feature on the Take Back the Tech campaign website at: http://www.takebackthetech.net/index.php
Send us news on your activities and events for the 16 Days of Activism
Register your mobile number to receive the SMSs that will be sent out during the 16 Days of Activism

For more information and/or to participate, please send a note to info@wougnet.org.

In addition, WOUGNET in partnership with Overcoming Gender Based Violence (Overcoming GBV) - Oxfam GB, is making a number of materials available to WOUGNET members and partners to mark the 16 Days of Activism. Stop by the WOUGNET Office, Plot 53 Kira Road Kamwokya, to collect purple ribbons that you can wear to Stand Out! and posters to pin-up. E-cards and e-posters are also available online at: http://www.preventgbvafrica.org/.

Background to the 16 Days of Activism

http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/16days/home.html

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign. For 2007, the global theme for the 16 Days of Activism is "Demanding Implementation, Challenging Obstacles: End Violence Against Women".

The 16 Days Campaign has been used as an organizing strategy by individuals and groups around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women.

Consequences of Violence Against Women affect every member of society and yet Violence Against Women continues with impunity despite the coming into force of the African protocol on Rights of women, which was adopted by the African heads of State and Government on July 11th 2003.

The regional theme for 2007 is "I commit to preventing violence against women! What about You? Speak out, reach out, stand out!". Organisations will hold marches, conferences, rallies, dramas, talk shows, community outreaches, video shows, median events and other activities.

Every individual is urged to add your voice and efforts and commit to preventing Violence Against Women in your personal relationships, extended families, communities and nations as a whole. Confront Violence Against Women and treat it as a violation of women's rights that fuels the spread of HIV and has dire economic consequences on families, communities and nations. What about your? What will you do? Speak out! Stand out! Commit to preventing Violence against Women.

Take Back the Tech!

http://www.takebackthetech.net/index.php

Association for Progressive Communications Women's Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP) believes that both Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Violence against Women 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 girls 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.

What is this action?

* A call to everyone - especially girls and women - to take control of ICTs and consciously use it to change power relations between men and women.

* For 16 Days (Nov 25 Dec 10), to enable users to employ ICTs for activism against VAW.

For more information

For further information about the SMS Campaign and/or to obtain posters and purple ribbons, please contact:

Dorothy Okello

Coordinator

Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET)

Plot 53 Kira Road

Tel: +256-41-4532035

Fax: +256-41-4530474

Post: P.O. Box 4411, Kampala, Uganda