Africa

All feminists have had to ask themselves in several gatherings and meetings - when can I raise the gender question? Sheena Magenya here reflects on her experiences at AFRISIG 2018, and goes deep into the question of how do we navigate, understand and eventually change such spaces.

The annual Forum on Internet Freedom, Africa brings together people from across the African continent to to deliberate on gaps, concerns and opportunities for advancing privacy, access to information, free expression, non-discrimination and the free flow of information online on the continent. But what about gender perspectives? 

How to start a sex-positive conversation around queerness, sensuality and sexuality, gender expression, and even violence? HOLAAfrica is one platform that shows us how to do it. From pleasure manuals to podcasts to articles, the platform raises and discusses several sensitive issues and concerns relevant to African women, gender non-conforming persons and sexual minorities.

Equity in digital access in Africa is far from being a reality. There is also paucity of women in technology related careers and more broadly in STEM. In this column, Nodumo Dhlamini will explore the necessity for mentoring of women to make them confident users and implementers of ICT tools and solutions.

In Tanzania, even as access to internet has brought changes to the lives of people, there is still a lot to be done to get everyone connected and at the same time ensuring good policies to lay the ground for a safer internet. Rebecca explores legal options to the non consensual sharing of intimate images of women in the country. 

The emerging sub-field of research around gender and digital technology is united in its understanding that gender biases and stereotypes are embedded in technology, and that this reproduces the existing problems around gender parity, gender-based violence, discrimination and exclusion on the internet. This report is a mapping of the research around gender and digital technology in the decade…

This article highlights the need for a balanced approach to understand the intricate social dynamics of the digital world. Fungai Machirori reflects on her podcast journey, emphasizing the value of exploring the social dimensions of digital interactions. The article encourages readers to embrace diverse knowledge systems and promote dialogue in this evolving space.

Algorithm bias manifests itself in unique ways every single day, affecting people of colour. Fungai Machirori explores how big tech corporations misidentify renowned Black women - error that continues to exist despite various alarms around the said bias.

This piece articulates the need for a deeper understanding of online violence to ensure that experiences of TNBGD people can be included and addressed. The research also nudges digital feminist activists, researchers, and advocates to intentionally design the work inclusive of LGBTQIA+ communities, and extend the idea of online violence to understand what happens within the LGBTQIA+ community…

With the introduction of Threads by Meta, there's a need to question whether adding another social media platform to the list of online spaces contributes to the existing problems that women face on the internet, or is it a step in the right direction?