Gender Justice is Under Attack: Countering Online Gender Backlash in Africa

Session Format: Panel Discussion

Major political and social shifts are resulting in new forces and alliances that are visibly pushing back, stifling the possibilities of equal women’s rights and gender justice across the world including the African continent. For instance, the advancement in the use of technology and digital platforms has been a tool to attack gender advocates, feminists, and sexual rights advocates, and push back all gender equality achievements. New challenges to feminist organizing online have emerged including the shrinking civic space which has led feminists and gender justice activists in the global South to have a renewed focus on the structural nature of oppression to dismantle gender equality gains. In Uganda and most African countries there have been attacks on the legal frameworks, counter attacks and violent reactions to the progress of women and marginalized groups, and frequent violent policing of women and feminists who belong in the polity and public space such as women in leadership positions, etc. This session will explore the understanding of Gender Backlash including the key drivers and approaches to countering Gender Backlash in Africa, and WOUGNET’s work in relation to countering gender backlash in Africa. The session will identify what may be the ways forward for building a feminist future online and offline. A blog post will be written to further amplify the session outcomes.