Introduction, learning objectives, learning activities and further reading

This page will guide you through the Module's correct use and understanding. Following the Learning Paths, with activities of varying depth, should allow participants to obtain a better grasp of the studied subjects.

Introduction

This learning module aims to conduct activities to introduce and enhance feminists appreciation of the Feminist Principles of the Internet. It is designed to have interactive exercises that will open up the space for feminists to look at the internet as a political space as well as connect the FPIs to their specific areas of concern.

Who is the FPIs learning module for?

• on the ground feminist activists who are using mobiles and internet
• women´s fund donors (grantees, safety, explain why the internet is an important space)
• WHRDs running campaigns
• sexual rights activists

The commonality among these different groups is that they are all feminists, and most likely, they have not had the time to look at the internet from the lens of feminism and as a political space.

These groups will benefit from this learning module by understanding the internet – a space and tool that they use for their work – from a feminist perspective in order to make decisions about their use of the internet with more control and knowledge.

Learning objectives

Participants will:

• understand how to engage with the internet as a political space
• understand why we are imagining a feminist internet
• have a basic understanding of the feminist principles of the internet
• be excited about feminist politics of technology
• explore/engage with the FPIs and link to their areas of activism and contexts

Learning activities

The learning activities for this module are organised as Starter Activities – exercises that begin exploring the issues of the internet as a political space; and Deepening Activities – those that focus on specific aspects of the FPIs.

Depending on time, having a combination of a Starter Activity and Deepening Activities would be ideal to have a more comprehensive session on FPIs.

Starter activities

• Introductions of internet love
• Imagining a feminist internet (3 options)
• The internet race
• Women's wall of internet firsts
• How the internet works: The basics

Deepening activities

• Social movements: What’s in a tool? What’s in a space?
• FPI presentation + discussion

Resources | Links | Further reading

• https://feministinternet.org/
• Feminist_principles_of_the_internetv2-0.pdf
• FPIsand5LayersofPower_2020_by_hvale.pdf
• #MFI Africa: The e-zine! (2020)
• GenderIT edition "Making a feminist internet: Movement building in a digital age in Africa" (2020)
• GenderIT edition "Making a feminist internet: Building movements, remembering resistance, hacking security and care" (2017)
• GenderIT edition "Three key issues for a feminist internet: Access, agency and movements" (2016)
• Finding the feminist internet: students respond to the feminist principles of the internet (2020)
• Imagine a Feminist Internet (2019)
• Politics of a feminist internet in Zimbabwe: Resistance and Silence (2017)
• Zimbabwean Reflections on a Feminist Internet (2017)
• A painting of an African feminist internet (2017)
• The Do-It-Yourself Feminist Internet: Cyber feminist actions from Latin America (2016)
• Imagine a feminist internet: Participation and political movements (2015)
• Why do the Feminist Principles of the Internet matter? (2014)
• Imagining a digitally secure, feminist internet (2014)
• Why is the internet a feminist issue? (2012)