Amplify

We claim the power of the internet to amplify women’s narratives and lived realities. There is a need to resist the state, the religious right and other extremist forces who monopolise discourses of morality, while silencing feminist voices and persecuting women’s human rights defenders.

Background

One of our most powerful feminist tools - no matter how the medium has changed over the centuries - is our ability to tell our stories. Narratives of history, of economy, of culture are dominated by the male gaze. So when women break the barriers to tell their own stories, create their own narratives, and frame their own issues, they push the movement forward. But they also face strong backlash. And so we must work on opening up more spaces for women to use technology to articulate their stories, their thoughts, their visions for a fairer world. A feminist story always needs our support. We must amplify this content, spread it, translate it, reproduce it, and make sure it survives the silencing of the patriarchy.

If there was an amplification tool that one could either embody, carry or hold every day, what is the one main function that she would like to have on this tool?

This manual is produced by HOLA Africa and the Open Society Initiative. It provides information and clear guidelines for beginners on how to navigate the digital and online space with 5 sections on: making photographs, creating audiovideo material, using social media, creating an online campaign, and resources for staying safe online. The women talk about the challenges they face as they navigate the online space, as well as the ways in which the internet empowers them.

This video series by Feminism in India features 4 videos detailing stories of how young women, queer women, Dalit women, and women with disabilities experience the Internet.