Let’s challenge militarism and end violence against women

The annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign that starts on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and ends on 10 December, Human Rights Day.

The theme for 2013 is: ‘Let’s challenge militarism and end violence against women’, to highlight the many intersections of these issues. BRIDGE is joining various other IDS teams to promote key initiatives and actors working in this disturbing yet essential development area.

Exciting new multimedia online resource on gender and social movements

We are very excited to announce the launch of our Cutting Edge Pack on Gender and Social Movements. The pack is housed in a new online resource containing, in addition to the pack's overview report and In Brief bulletin, a range of multimedia resources on the topic of gender and social movements.

Explore the site to find information, evidence and tools for activists who want to bring a gender perspective into the work of social justice movements, and for supporters of gender-just movements worldwide.

We are very interested to hear what you think about this new way of showcasing Cutting Edge Packs. Please tell us your thoughts!

Scheme allows women to check partners for history of violence

From March 2013, women in England and Wales will be able to contact the police for information if they fear their partner may have a history of abuse and domestic violence.

Clare’s Law is named after Clare Wood who was murdered by an ex-boyfriend in 2009. After she died it emerged that George Appleton had a violent past, including kidnapping a previous girlfriend at knifepoint.

According to the domestic violence charity Refuge, two women a week are killed by current or former partners in England and Wales.

Public/Private: Define lines to Take Back the Tech!

Sara Baker is coordinator for the Take Back the Tech! campaign. One of the key groups behind the initiative is the Association of Progressive Communications which works closely with BRIDGE.

Take Back The Tech! (TBTT!) is a collaborative campaign that takes place during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence. It is a call to everyone, especially women and girls, to take control of technology to end violence against women. This year’s campaign focuses on public and private. What’s the line between private and public? Is it the home? The body? Is it about thoughts, relationships or spaces? What about the digital spaces which increasingly take up room in our lives?

Undressing Patriarchy and Addressing Inequalities

In September 2013 IDS hosted an international symposium, ‘Undressing Patriarchies, Redressing Inequalities’. One of the symposium’s key aims was to help revitalise and advance thinking about gender inequality in relation to patriarchy and to re-politicise ‘gender in development’. The event brought together researchers, activists, practitioners, and policy makers from a range of fields. The event report is now available, along with videos from the symposium. You can find them here.

Observaction.org – Francophone thematic database of resources for the promotion of gender equality

Observ’action is a new web project run jointly by BRIDGE and our partner Genre en Action, an international network of organisations working towards gender equality in development in Francophone countries. For each gender thematic area of focus, Observ’action will publish BRIDGE synthesis work and give visibility to the knowledge, experiences and expertise developed in Francophone countries. We aim in this way to stimulate dialogue amongst different actors and support the work of activists and policy makers in the region. The first area of focus has been climate change.

You can visit the website by clicking here. You can contribute resources by writing to info@observaction.org. Or keep in touch with the initiative by following Genre en Action on Twitter and Facebook.