The personal nature of activism can feel daunting, but it’s also powerful. When we normalise tough conversations and share accurate information, we give people room to form their own views, instead of being shaped by echo chambers.

🎧 Listen here 👉 bit.ly/CCS_86

#CounteringBacklash #GenderJustice

Failure in activism doesn't have to be a setback, it can be a prototype. Even when projects don’t succeed, they create space to find allies, test strategies, and build resilience.

🎧👉 Listen here bit.ly/CCS_86

@sidasweden.bsky.social @ids.ac.uk #GenderJustice #OVOF #CounteringBacklash

Activism can live where people already are — memes, theatre, concerts, everyday culture. When learning comes through spaces we choose, it often lands more deeply than when it’s told to us.

🎧 Listen for more 👉 bit.ly/CCS_86

@sidasweden.bsky.social @ids.ac.uk #CounteringBacklash #OVOF

What does it mean to truly belong?
Co-host Ishrat Jahan reflects on how women with disabilities in Bangladesh need spaces of connection — not only formal advocacy, but everyday moments that affirm dignity and inclusion.

🎧 bit.ly/CCS_85

#CounteringBacklash #OVOF @ids.ac.uk @sidasweden.bsky.social

Moving forward, the Observatory Members called for collective action, stronger protections, and accountability at all levels in order to build safer and inclusive digital spaces for women.
#CounteringBacklash

But there’s hope. Feminist solidarity is visible in digital spaces with women supporting one another, and new voices joining the fight for safer, more inclusive platforms.
#CounteringBacklash

Too often, abuse has been normalized. Many women expect it as “part of being online.” This acceptance has only fueled gender backlash and emboldened perpetrators.
#CounteringBacklash

Women using digital labour platforms still face harassment and lack reporting systems to protect them. This makes it unsafe to work, organize, or fully participate online. #CounteringBacklash

🤔Who are the actors of online gender backlash and how does it manifest?

Last week, we convened our observatory members to assess the key actors of online gender backlash, manifestations & counter actors between the timeframe of April-September, 2025.
#CounteringBacklash

How do we move beyond a charity model that gives short-term allowances to a rights-based approach that ensures education, employment & full participation for people with disabilities?

New episode podcast👂 🎧 bit.ly/CCS_85

@ids.ac.uk @sidasweden.bsky.social #GenderJustice #CounteringBacklash #OVOF

How do we balance the personal and collective work of allyship? In the face of gender backlash, solidarity must be more than symbolic, it’s a conscious practice that challenges harmful norms and shares power.

🎙️Listen: bit.ly/CCS_84

@ids.ac.uk @sidasweden.bsky.social

#CounteringBacklash #OVOF

What does allyship mean to you? In the face of gender backlash, it must go beyond good intentions—sharing power, resources, and responsibility for justice.
New episode on allyship in gender justice🎙️https://bit.ly/CCS_84
@ids.ac.uk @sidasweden.bsky.social #GenderJustice #CounteringBacklash #OVOF

📌Strategies to #CounteringBacklash

✅ Involvement of media houses in sharing the issues and challenges faced by gender justice actors
✅ Cross-border collaborations
✅ Multi- stakeholder collaborations i.e government, private sector, CSOs

The discussions highlighted the influence of online backlash among women, feminists, gender justice and civil society activists, as well as the intangible but far-reaching impact of social, political, religious & cultural narratives against the women's movement.

#CounteringBacklash

The conversation focused on what constitutes gender backlash & counter-backlash, as well as what underpins backlash & counter-backlash in policy, civic, & popular spaces & strategies for fighting & responding to backlash in the Shrinking Civic Space (Online) in Uganda.

#CounteringBacklash

💭How can we reclaim gender justice in digital spaces?

📻Tune in to our radio talk show tomorrow as we explore how to make digital spaces safe, inclusive & empowering for women & marginlized communities.

📅 24th April, 2025

⏰ 7:00PM EAT

#CounteringBacklash