On International Women's Day, let's keep making a feminist internet

By APCNews

Published on 6 March 2020
Page last updated on 6 March 2020

On the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and ahead of International Women’s Day, APC wants to commemorate what has been achieved, while remembering how much work lies ahead.

At the Human Rights Council

This year, we especially commend the courage of women across the globe, including Chile, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Sudan, Algeria and so many others, who have been at the forefront of protests leveraging online and offline spaces to defend democracy. We also want to draw attention to the escalating violence against minorities and worsening human rights situations in several countries, particularly India, following the enactment of the patently discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act. We used the opportunity that the Human Rights Council (HRC) 43rd session provides to raise these issues in a series of statements and articles:

• Statement on the escalating violence in India

• Statement on privacy and gender

• Safeguarding freedom of religion or belief and gender equality

Resources to keep making a feminist internet

Ahead of 8 March, we are listing a series of materials, articles and resources that we hope will be useful to continue reflecting on women's rights and a feminist internet.

• Let's revisit the "The internet of memory", a series of articles by Jennifer Radloff, APC’s Women's Rights Programme (WRP) capacity building lead. Join her in this 1999 journey from Huairou to New York, while encouraging more women to find their “J” spot.

• We recommend GenderIT.org, a project of APC's Women's Rights Programme of and for women's rights, sexuality, sexual rights and internet rights activists, academics, journalists and advocates. Take a look at the website in English or Spanish to find articles, news, podcasts, videos, comics and blogs on internet policy and cultures from a feminist and intersectional perspective, privileging voices and expressions from Africa, Asia, Latin America, Arabic-speaking countries and Eastern Europe.

• Have you participated in one of our Take Back the Tech! campaigns? Check out the website in English, Spanish or French and join us in reclaiming the internet and women's often-ignored herstory with technology, exploring and encouraging the creative use of ICTs.

• Are you interested in learning about digital security through a feminist framework? Explore the learning modules of the FTX Safety Reboot (disponible aussi en français!).

• Do you know that the Feminist Internet Research Network (FIRN) focuses on the making of a feminist internet, and sees this as critical to bring about transformation in gendered structures of power that exist online and onground? Learn more about this powerful research project.

• To continue making a feminist internet, which is one of APC's goals, the Feminist Principles of the Internet (FPIs) provide a framework for women's movements to articulate and explore issues related to technology. A feminist internet works towards empowering more women and queer persons – in all our diversities – to fully enjoy our rights, engage in pleasure and play, and dismantle patriarchy. Consult the FPIs here and learn more.

What other resources do you use or recommend as we continue working on a feminist internet? Follow us via @apc_news and share your suggestions on a #feministinternet. Happy #IWD2020 everyone!