"Keep your chats exactly that!" is a youth campaign run by Girls'Net, a daughter project of Women'sNet, to raise awareness among young people about the safe use of mobile phones, chats, and other social networking tools.

The latest edition of GenderIT looks at the question of access to knowledge focussing on Africa. Over the last century, copyright and patents legislation have penetrated into most countries. Strengthened by international trade agreements, and often pressure from the United States, this has had the impact of both shrinking the amount of knowledge that is freely available, and of legislating what is and is not 'knowledge'. This has been happening at a time when it is becoming easier and cheaper to copy and transmit information.

Whether its through community radio, posters, sms, emails, audiocasts or websites, creative and informed use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) helps get the word out on violence against women (VAW). We have to know about technology to best use it for our activism, we have to understand it to protect ourselves and others, and to keep shaping an internet for all.

Listen in on the debate around the feminist practices and politics of technology at the FTX through Radio FIRE's live broadcast. The FTX is all about discussion and hands-on practice, so when plenary is not in session, Radio FIRE's mikes will go roving to see how women from around the world are using the internet for advocacy and activism.

To hear the live broadcast or download the audio files later visit Radio Feminista

More than 100 women's rights activists from 46 countries are converging on Cape Town 10 – 12 November to harness the creative and strategic use of video, audio, social networking platforms, digital storytelling, mobile phones and community wireless networks for women's transformation, activism, advocacy and movement building at the Feminist Tech Exchange (FTX).

The Feminist Tech Exchange 10-12 November

The new edition of GENDER CENTRED, a GenderIT.org thematic bulletin, examines the current cybercrime landscape and its gendered dimensions in different regions of the world – including India, Burkina Faso, Chile, Brazil, Venezuela and Bolivia. It asks: What is meant by “cybercrime”? Can cybercrime restrict the exercise of individual rights to privacy, freedom of expression and civil liberties? Can the rhetoric of fighting cybercrimes in effect be used to restrict the exercise of women’s communication rights? How can the issue of cybercrimes be analysed from a feminist perspective?

In this edition of GenderIT.org, our team of writers together with APC's Latin American and Caribbean ICT Policy Monitor present many facets of this challenging policy area. Their different approaches and stances clearly demonstrate the difficulty of drawing a clear line between protection of women's rights from violation and empowering their status as users and definers of ICT and the information society. The articles portray the current cybercrime landscape, arising issues and their gendered dimensions in different regions of the world. We invite your reflections on this subject that remains contentious and sometimes directly absent.

UgaBYTES in Uganda has taken up APC WNSP's Gender Evaluation Methodology for Internet and ICT initiatives in the evaluation of two telecentres. Dafne Sabanes Plou, the GEM facilitator focussing on telecentres recently visited UgaBytes to present GEM and begin to explore gender and ICT issues in the Buwama and Kawolo rural telecentres. Francis Mwathi of UgaBYTES shares the details of Dafne's visit.

He is leaning on a railing, looking cool and passing time. A girl walks by and he quickly follows her up the escalator. He then casually places his foot near hers on the same step. Only the observant can see a mobile phone strapped to his foot. The camera function does his 'peeping' for him, recording the underside of her skirt. But wait, the tables (and camera) are turned. The girl realises his trick and chases him down the escalator, with her friend capturing his act and face on her camera. His 'secret' act turned public as he is shamed and chased in front of the entire subway population.