Take Back the Tech! is a collaborative campaign to reclaim information and communication technologies (ICT) to end violence against women (VAW).

The campaign calls on all ICT users – especially women and girls – to take control of technology and strategically use any ICT platform at hand (mobile phones, instant messengers, blogs, websites, digital cameras, email, podcasts and more) for activism against gender-based violence.

Take Back the Tech! accompanies the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence (November 25 – December 10 each year) with daily actions that explore different aspects of violence against women and ICT tools.

In 2005, APC WNSP developed research papers that looked at the connection between ICT and VAW, an issue that received little attention or discussion at that time. From sharing the findings with women's rights and communication rights advocates in different spaces, APC WNSP found this to be a critical issue that compelled further attention and deeper engagement. Take Back the Tech! was initiated as as one of the ways of doing this, and sets out to:

• Create safe digital spaces that protect everyone’s right to participate freely, without harassment or threat to safety.

• Realise women’s rights to shape, define, participate, use and share knowledge, information and ICT.

• Address the intersection between communication rights and women’s human rights, especially VAW.

• Recognise women’s historical and critical participation and contribution to the development of ICT.

In 2008, Take Back the Tech! was awarded an honorary mention in the Digital Communities category of the prestigious Prix Ars Electronica International Competition for Cyber Arts for its innovative, collaborative campaign to end violence against women.

For more information about Take Back The Tech!, see the campaign FAQ.