“Trafficking does exist” pamphlet made at a workshop: Woman in Argentina with a pamphlet made during trainingTAKE BACK THE TECH! FUND WINNERS IN ARGENTINA
In Argentina, eight projects were selected to receive $2500USD each. The groups were selected on the basis of their work in gender and ICTs, geographical diversity and their interest in being part of a violence against women network. All the groups have demonstrated over time their constant defence of women’s human rights.
The seedgrant work will be completed by December 2010.
Camino a la Vida, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones
Argentina´s most impoverished provinces are in the North. Camino a la Vida been working with survivors of violence for six years. The centre is staffed by volunteers including a psychologist and lawyer as well as staff who run the self-help groups. Using the seed grant, staff and residents will learn how to use cell phones and the internet to promote their work combating violence. They plan to film the workshops to make an audiovisual to promote their work on November 25.
Fundación Espacios de la Mujer, Moreno, Buenos Aires Province
When Espacios de la Mujer which runs three day women´s centres for victims of violence in the city of Moreno on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, first became involved in Take Back the Tech! In 2009 they said that they had no idea about ICTs or what value they could have. And they made mistakes. They tried to teach a workshop on how to use a computer using one computer and a projector! And they have struggled to find good preferably women instructors. However as they got involved with ICTs they began to see how the training and putting together a website started to get women at the three refuges talking to each other and reviewing and strengthening their identity and mission. With the Take Back the Tech! Funding they will produce an institutional website which will include materials for use by other local activists working in the community who need to know more about violence prevention and treatment of victims. They also hope the site will help build links with other national and regional groups working to end VAW.
Ñandé Roga Guazú, Clorinda, Formosa
The small grant awarded to this group comes at a good time. They have been working with ICTs with groups of local women for the last years. Their trainer is an ex street-vendor who thanks to support from the group for the last three years is studying to become a computer studies teacher. To give back to the community she trains the other women at the centre. The are using the seed grant to provide more workshops and produce anti-VAW materials in video and fliers and distribute in Formosa and surrounding areas including indigenous communities. Formosa is one of Argentina´s poorest provinces.
TRAMA, Santiago del Estero
The network work with campesinas and indigenous women in the rural Northern province of Santiago del Estero, one of the poorest in Argentina. They will use the fund to support their training of women and girls who are producing mini radio programmes and audio clips aimed at educating rural women on their sexual rights. The programmes will be broadcast by a network of community radio stations. The radio spots will be audio-reproductions of gorgeous comic books that were produced several years ago for the same communities.
Gente del Sur y Radio Gráfica, La Boca, Buenos Aires
This cooperative which emerged from the take-over of failed companies by their staff following the 2002 crisis is based in La Boca, one of Buenos Aires´most picturesque yet impoverished neighbourhoods. The coops will train local women correspondents, radio producers and conductors for community radio station so that they will be able to produce audio clips and radio programmes about violence against women.
Cre-siendo, Ciudad Evita, La Matanza, Buenos Aires
Though cable reached Barrio January 22 the illegal settlement (shanty town) where Grupo Cre-Siendo is based for the World Cup, the only internet connections available are mobile as telecoms companies refuse to send staff in to this rubbish-strewn marginalised town. The Santa Clara de Asis chapel centre which has been running for fifteen years has become a community centre for vulnerable families and children where the oldest woman who attends is thirty and has children in their late teens. The centre offers after-class study support to the children, many of whom suffer serious violence in their homes. Women listed the reasons why they wanted to learn ICTs and will take part in a weekly workshop to learn how to use email, create blogs, digital posters. The teens in theatre and murga workshops will film the history of the murga and create a video.
Fundación Sujeto y Predicado, Jujuy
The foundation has worked in public policy for the last two decades. As winners of the seed grant in Jujuy in the Argentinian Andes, they plan to work in two small marginalised neighbourhoods of a total of 400 families which are at the same time just two blocks from the city centre and a host of public services. They will work with teenagers and women to collectively produce a video to highlight the issue of violence and sensitise viewers to reality and consequences. Many local teenagers including those from the middle classes see violent relationships and interactions as “natural”. The foundation has observed disturbances outside nightclubs where the aggressors are girls are the aggressors and are being held back by their male friends. The idea is to change the teenagers’ attitude towards violence getting them to teach women who’ve experienced domestic violence to learn how to produce anti-VAW flyers and posters for local secondary schools on the computer.
AMMAR, Buenos Aires
Grupo AMMAR will use the fund to collectively produce of a video on women involved in prostitution.
The selection committee were María Sol Pereyra Rozas, María Carolina Caride, María Luisa Goñalonz, Carolina Pereyra and Gloria Phillip, all of the Ongoing Workshop for Women.
The Take Back the Tech! fund is a part of the APC women’s programme Take Back the Tech! to end violence against women project, which falls under the APC’s work towards achieving the third Millennium Development Goal on equality for women. A total of $20 000 dollars have been disbursed to twelve country partners for redistribution to local and grassroots organisations that are working with women and ICTs.
_Photo by Ñandé Roga Guazú: A woman is given a pamphlet “Trafficking does exist”, made by Ñandé Roga Guazú.