Addressing Anti-Feminist Violence Online

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January 2015

FemTechNet publicly denounces the systematic and pernicious harassment of women, feminists of all genders, and transgender people for their participation in digital life. During the last twelve months, people who challenge the lack of racial and gender diversity in gaming and other computing practices have been subjected to organized campaigns intended to disrupt lives and silence voices.

FemTechNet is committed to creating the accessible, open, accountable, transformative and transforming educational institutions of our dreams.

These dreams are imperiled by doxxing, appropriation of work, data and technology breaches, and threats of violence and sexual assault.

Anti-feminist and anti-justice campaigns demonstrate, in the worst ways possible, that the boundaries of website, device screen, and machine are permeable with “real life.” Accountability, collaboration, collectivity, and care are feminist technologies.   We activate our network to join the chorus of voices that reject online and offline violence and silencing of women and feminists.

Here are two proposals that address the problem:

“Addressing Anti-feminist Violence Online” A Digital Media and Learning “Trust Challenge” proposal

“Hey Haters: Community Based Participatory Research on Gendered Online Harassment” A Digital Media and Learning “Trust Challenge” proposal

Signatories to date: Commission of the Status of Women (CSW) within the Association of Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC); The Fembot Collective; The Feminist Wire; Hashtag Feminism; International Communication Association, Feminist Scholarship Division (ICA FSD); McGannon Communication Research Center; Wikid GRRLs