We are excited to announce the Take Back the Tech! theme for this year's
16 Days of Action Against Gender-Based Violence –
Revisit to resist: Histories of the movement to end gender-based violence
Last year Take Back the Tech! celebrated our tenth anniversary, which got
us thinking about the movement to end gender-based violence (GBV), from
its beginnings in the early 90s with the start of 16 Days of Action
Against Gender-Based Violence and the UN's Declaration on the Elimination
of Violence Against Women to today's emerging and energetic movement
around online GBV. What does that timeline look like? Who are the
agitators? What are the key moments? Who has not been recognised?
Get curious about your feminist history – and share it!
What does the movement against gender-based violence look like from your
perspective? What's missing from the mainstream narrative? What hidden
struggles, stories and victories need to surface? Who has been leading
work on violence against trans people, sex workers, people with
disabilities and more? Who has been working in creative, subversive and
radical ways?
Find your history by collecting old posters and pamphlets, buttons and
badges, videos, songs and manifestos – all the exciting paraphernalia
you've collected over the years. We'll let you know soon how to share it
with us so we can display this beautiful collage of rage and joy for this
year's 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (25 November – 10
December).
In the meantime, reflect on the movement and share your thoughts. When did
people start talking about GBV in your country? How did you first learn
about it? What role has the internet played? What lessons should be
preserved? How would you like to recognise the pioneering, forgotten or
anonymous leaders in your community? Share your thoughts with the mailing
list or write to sara.baker@apcwomen.org. (Note: I am traveling so may be
slow to respond the next two weeks.)
We are feminists, queer folks, artists, teachers, visionaries in the
margins, and though corporations and institutions may try to co-opt our
work, this is our movement and we're owning it. Let's look back at how far
we've come to better understand how to move forward. We'll celebrate our
collective power by carving our names in the scaffolding and building
steps for new generations.
