“Liberation from fear and bad attitude in relation to ICTs – information and communication technologies”, “a unique opportunity for empowerment seeking to overcome technological limitations”, “conviction that the amplification of horizons with regards to internet use is not a monster”, “the certainty that the internet will provide better service for the networks for protection of women in situations of violence”, “the verification that technologies are fundamental to work on the matter of domestic violence”, “the anxiety to multiply the content of the workshop for many women and adolescents in our regions”. These were some of the impacts described by the participants at the end of the qualification workshop Feminist Technological Exchange, with focus entitled Internet and domestic violence: acting and intervening, which took place on May 19 and 20, 2010, in the city of São Paulo, with the participation of 29 women, where it was possible to perform an in-depth theoretical and practical analysis of the matter.
The participants represent several organizations from the northeast, central-west and southeast regions of the country, encompassing variety in terms of race, sexual orientation and geographic location – including urban and rural areas – and in terms of generations. The work of these organizations of many Brazilian regions includes activities focused on ICTs and violence against women and adolescents, having been chosen also for development during the second semester of 2010, from a small initiative interconnecting both themes. All eight approved projects shall be supported with a total of USD2,500.00, besides the didactical and practical support provided in this workshop and in another one that will take place in September. The goal is to promote qualification and articulation in the support to the construction of local, national and international network for facing violence against women, in the landmark of the project ODM3 (Objetivos de Desenvolvimento do Milênio – Millennium Development Goals), developed, simultaneously, in twelve countries of several continents.
This first workshop was limited to creating products through the use of elementary ICTs, which are those accessible to the majority of the population, such as mobile phones and cameras, along with the internet, for facing domestic violence. It was exciting to see the enthusiasm and high level of involvement of all participants, during the in-depth theoretical analysis, as well as during the creation of the products – which presented excellent levels of quality, overcoming all expectations. The groups were divided mixing participants from different projects so that, at least one member of each group worked on each one of the different productions and was able to multiply the knowledge acquired in their regions:
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The success of the workshop should also be shared with its organizers, lecturers and monitors: Ana Rosa Carrara, Cacau Freire, Nilza Iraci, Jacira Melo, Vera Vieira and Walkíria Ferraz. In the workshop to be carried out in September, the production of testimonies will be prioritized – both practical and theoretical, based on the Paulo Freire method. The same participants will be present, and also Dafne Plou, Latin-American coordinator of the OGM3 Project, which will greatly contribute to the Brazilian production.
(*) Vera Vieira is the Brazilian coordinator of the ODM3 Project, which is being nationally executed by Rede Mulher de Educação, with the following partners: Peace Women Association, Geledés Instituto da Mulher Negra and Patrícia Galvão Institute.