With your participation, WOUGNET in collaboration with Womensnet, South Africa and APC-Africa-Women (AAW), will be conducting an SMS-based campaign. The idea is to send out SMSs 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/message which highlights your resistance to violence against women.

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

1. 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.
2. Send us news on your activities and events for the 16 Days of Activism
3. Register your mobile number to receive the SMSs that will be sent out during the 16 Days of Activism

You can also see where we are on the map at http://www.takebackthetech.net/actions/map_it.

For more information and/or to participate in the SMS campaign, please send a note to info@wougnet.org. This SMS campaign has been made possible through the generous support of Hivos and SMS Bulk.

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/.

News on activities to mark the 16 Days of Activism in Africa

• 25 November 2007
  • Baha'i Community - Uganda will be observing this period on 25 November 2007 at the Baha'i House of Worship, Kikaaya Hill, Kampala starting at 10.30am with prayers at the Baha'i Temple Kampala. Contact: oeabahai@spacenet.co.ug

  • Rede Mulher - Luanda, Angola. Activities include: Press conference; Public demonstrations; In 18 provinces, a minute of silence in memory of women victims of violence, followed by a minute of noise in front of government buildings. Contact: rede.mulher@netangola.com

  • Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) is holding a focused e-discussion on AF-AIDS eForum. AF-AIDS is an e-mail discussion forum (eForum) focused on HIV/AIDS and other health and development issues in Africa. Founded in March 1998, AF-AIDS is a moderated eForum with support from a virtual network of experts called the AF-AIDS eForum Resource Team (www.healthdev.org/eforums/af-aids). AF-AIDS is coordinated by Health and Development Networks (HDN, www.hdnet.org) on behalf of the AF-AIDS Steering Committee [HDN, Health Systems Trust (HST) and the Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS)], with the support of Irish Aid.
    The purpose of the e-discussion on 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence is to mobilise a more broad-based and effective response to issues around 16 Days of Activism in east and southern Africa. This year’s theme is: Demanding Implementation, Challenging Obstacles: End Violence Against Women! Over the next few weeks (from 25 November – 10 December 2007), the focused discussion aims to discuss and address the following issues:
    • Are women taking on active leadership roles in eliminating gender-based violence?
    • What can women in positions of leadership do to ensure key commitments are achieved (including universal access and millennium development goals (MDGs?)
    • Does the 16 Days of Activism commemoration have an impact on ending the gender-based violence?
    If you are not already subscribed to the eForum please indicate or join from the AF-AIDS website: www.healthdev.org/eforums/af-aids
  
  
• 27 November 2007
  • RODHECIC - Kinshasa, DR Congo. Activities include: Awareness raising through television and radio; Public demonstration. Contact: luthacar@yahoo.fr
  
  
• 28 November 2007
  • Ceasefire Campaign - The Vaal region, South Africa. Activities include: Workshop for women and those who assist women in abusive situations. Contact: pollecutt@mweb.co.za
  
  
• 1 December 2007
  • Women in Alternative Action - Yaounde, Cameroon. Activities include: Roundtable including parliamentarians and women lawyers; Radio talk back programs. Contact: waacameroon@yahoo.com
  
  
• 2 December 2007
  • Gun Free South Africa - National, South Africa. Gun Free South Africa will be active throughout the 16 days. Activities include: Distribution of materials on gun control; Press releases and statements; Media coverage for each day of the campaign. Contact: judy@gfsa.org.za
  
  
• 3 December 2007
  Foundation HELP - Mara region, Tanzania. Activities include: Radio talk show; Public meeting; Press conference. Contact:chachabp@juasun.net
  
  
• 6 December 2007
  • The Association of Uganda Women Lawyers (FIDA-U) in conjunction with the School of Graduate Studies, Makerere University, cordially invite you to a public presentation on “Wife Killing by husbands in Uganda: an affirmation of (skewed )masculinity?”. This is one of the activities to mark the 16 days of activism against Gender based violence. It will be presented by the Associate Professor Lillian Tibatemwa - Kekirikubinza who is a member of FIDA (U), is the First Deputy Vice Chancellor and in charge of Academic Affairs at Makerere University and is Associate Professor of Law. She has widely researched and published in areas of Crime and Criminology; Gender and Women’s Rights; Children’s Rights and others. She will be presenting the findings of a research which she carried out within the prisons of Uganda.
    The public presentation will be held at Grand Imperial Hotel, Kampala, from 8:30am to 1:30pm.
    
    
  • Women Peace and Security Network Africa - Accra, Ghana. Activities include: Forums with secondary school children (12-17 years; Awareness raising through local media; Production of t-shirts with slogans. Contact: wipsen@wipsen-africa.org
  
  
• 7 December 2007
  • Breaking the Wall of Silence - Windhoek, Namibia. Activities include: Radio and television talk shows; Lobbying to encourage the review of the 1996 Firearms Act; Specific focus on the impact of gun crime linked to poverty, women and domestic violence. Contact: bws@iway.na
  
  
• 10 December 2007
  • DAGROPASS AMAGARANIKINDI - Bubanza Province, Burundi. Activities include: Street theatre; Public demonstrations; Public debate; Poster and banner making; Publication of open letters and calls for action. Contact: dagropass@yahoo.fr

  Acknowledgement: This list of activities has been compiled with input from the different organisations, including from WOUGNET members and from Sarah Masters, Women's Network Coordinator, International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA).

Background to the 16 Days of Activism

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.

2007 regional theme for 16 Days of Activism

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!

Take Back the Tech! is 16-day campaign that 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.

Further information

Last update: December-6, 2007