We all have the opportunity and responsibility to 'take back the tech'

Throughout FTX we were prompted into reflecting on questions such as: what might a feminist practice of technology might look like? Why can’t the women’s movement afford to ignore technology? Such key questions underpinned the purpose of FTX and have strongly affected my thinking as we have moved from FTX into the AWID forum.

Today at AWID I have attended two sessions, as well as ‘womaning’ the BRIDGE stand meeting delegates. Speakers, many of whom were from FTX, were arguing that the time has passed when feminists and the women’s movement more broadly can only engage with technology as ‘tools’ for conducting advocacy and mainstreaming work. It is now fundamental for them to engage with technology as spaces and territories in which progressive interests are being trumped by state and market agendas, and in ways that are not only impacting on knowledge creation and communication rights online, but offline too.

The last few days have really cemented quite why the ‘take back the tech’ campaign is so important. Violence against women is not just a crucial issue, it is one of many where the power of technology is increasingly manifested, and where the power of movements needs to be harnessed in response. Women are creating their own spaces, breaking the rules and bending the tools for their own purposes, but against the odds.

So I’ve been mulling over what this means for my own work at BRIDGE, and for the future of our web services. For me one thing at least is clear – as we work to enhance what we do we need to keep in mind that we have the opportunity and responsibility to always be working towards ‘taking back the tech’ – whatever we are doing.

Tonight BRIDGE are facilitating two events on forthcoming publicaions on Gender and Governance and Gender and Care, so wish us luck…