This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating those building a better online world for women, and in turn a better world for everyone!

The web has helped to transform the lives of women around the world. But increasingly it is being misused to abuse, harass and silence women and girls. 

Here are eight inspiring organisations across the world that are championing women’s rights and doing powerful work to equip people with resources to stay safe online and fight for a web that works for women:

1. Chayn

Helps women experiencing abuse by providing information and support to take control of their lives.

Chayn’s Do-It-Yourself Online Safety guide – available in nine languages – offers practical measures women can take to stay safe online.

2. UK Safer Internet Centre

Promotes the safe and responsible use of technology for young people.

The internet can be a dangerous place for young people. The Safer Internet Centre’s Resources for 11-19s provides top-tips and creative tools to use the internet safely, responsibly and positively.

3. Take Back The Tech

Campaigns for everyone to take control of technology and end violence against women online.

Have you ever wondered how to be a better ally online? ‘Is your friend being attacked online?’ is Take Back the Tech’s practical guide to help you identify, respond and stand up for someone you know being attacked online.

4. Fix the Glitch

Works to end online abuse through digital security workshops and campaigning for policies that build a safer web. 

Discussing online gender based-violence is hard but necessary. The Fix the Glitch toolkit makes these conversations easier, by helping individuals spark interactive conversations in their communities about how to end violence online.

5. Internews

Empowers people by promoting trustworthy, high-quality news and information.

Internews’ free, comprehensive Safe Sisters Toolkit is a common-sense guide to digital safety for women and girls in Sub-Saharan Africa.

6. vpnMentor

Rates the best VPN tools to protect online privacy and security.

vpnMentor’s Empowering Internet Safety Guide for Women gives advice on how to use the web without fear, with tips on everything from dealing with harassment to protecting yourself from being hacked or doxed. 

7. Cybersmile Foundation

Tackles digital abuse to build a safer, more positive online community.

The Cybersmile Foundation’s Cyberbullying and Digital Abuse Help Centre provides and support on issues from including digital abuse, gaming, mental health and online harassment.

8. Access Now

Defends and promotes the digital rights of users around the world.

If you’re at risk online, Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline offers advice to improve your digital security practices — and provides rapid-response emergency assistance if you’re under attack.

2020 marks 25 years since 189 countries signed a global plan to empower women, and begins the countdown to the world’s 2030 deadline to achieve gender equality. 

We must tackle the online harms facing women if the web is to live up to its potential as one of the most empowering technologies the world has ever seen.

For ten years, the Web Foundation has been working with amazing partners to increase women’s access to the web and improve women’s rights online by developing — and campaigning for — stronger policies:

• Our women’s rights online research — which revealed that urban women in low to middle-income countries were 50% less likely to access the internet than men — was a turning point in the global debate on digital technology and gender.
• We work to close this digital gender gap by developing research and advocacy tools with a locally-led network of women’s rights groups to persuade policymakers to make the web more accessible for women.
• Our work to drive down the cost of internet access, through the Alliance for Affordable Internet, focuses especially on women — and has made the web more affordable for around 650 million people across the globe.
• We train women across Africa, Asia and Latin America to work with government and civil society to support digital literacy education, through the EQUALS Global Partnership.
• Our biannual Africa Summit on Women and Girls in Technology brings together digital equality advocates from across Africa to tackle the continent’s growing digital gender gap.

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