Technology - friend or foe for women human rights defenders

Published: Sunday, November 27, 2011

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) present opportunities and dangers for women human rights defenders (WHRDs).

ICTs have become an indispensible part of our daily lives as we work and connect through social networking.

The use of ICTs provide WHRDs with accessible, cost effective tools to document abuses, build evidence, raise awareness, publicise and mobilize support around women's rights issues and the risks that women activists face.

Using social networking tools and email means that WHRDs are able to reach out to millions of people quickly and get help with urgent calls to action.

ICTs, therefore, amplify the voice of WHRDs as well as providing an opportunity to be connected with and supported by other WHRDs in different places.

The ability to stay anonymous is another advantage of using ICTs.

But there is a downside. According to Jennifer Radloff, Senior project coordinator at the Women's Networking Support Programme, "Violence against women online is a real and frightening reality [...] there are countless cases of women bloggers being threatened with violence for expressing their opinions online."

Click here to read the full article from Women's Views on News.....