Violence against women is a systemic form of abuse that pervades our reality. Speak to any woman and chances are, she would have a story of her experience that she could share. Whether it’s an unwelcome grope in a crowd, a strip down by a man’s presumptuous gaze, someone close – perhaps herself – who has been sexually assaulted by another person, equally close, and more.

What is the impact of this violent normality that we move within everyday? What does it mean for us to live in a world where at least one out of every three woman worldwide has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime, often by her husband or someone in her family? How do we rationalise rape of women as something that simply exists, whether at times of conflict, disaster, crisis or abundance?

Violence against women has a distinct cost that comes in many forms: health, productivity, mobility, participation in social and political life, loss of life, loss of imagination. While some are measurable, others are invisible.

What’s your take? How do you think violence against women affects us? What is the impact of violence against women as a persistent reality we have to contend with?

• Make a postcard & share your thoughts on the impact of VAW
• Postcards can be made of anything: word document, paper, photograph, doodle, image, etc
• Use any language or image that you are comfortable with
• If possible, submit the postcard in PDF, JPEG or GIF format, no less than 500 x 350 pixels
• Email it to ideas AT takebackthetech DOT net, or
• Submit it directly by registering in this website. Click “create account” on the bottom right hand corner, and after you have verified your account, click on “Create content” > “Image”, and submit a postcard.

Postcard submissions are welcomed throughout the 16 days and after. Check back and send a postcard. Move someone you know into action.