Focus: Feminist expression on the internet

Eligibility: APC WRP partners, allies and APC members (collectives or individuals)

Budget:

• Individuals or single organisation proposal: Maximum 5,000 USD.

• Joint proposal: Maximum 15,000 USD

Implementation period: September - December 2024

Reporting deadline: 31 January, 2025

Deadline to submit proposals: 26 July, 2024, 23:59 PT

 

 

The Association for Progressive Communications Women’s Rights Programme (APC WRP) launched the first round of the #FeministTechJoy grant in 2023, small grants exclusively open to APC WRP partners to further movement-building in feminist tech. That first call supported nine exciting initiatives. Today, we are pleased to launch the 2024 #FeministTechJoy call, celebrating feminist expression, including sexual expression, as well as play and pleasure on the internet. This private invitation is for APC WRP’s allies and partners engaged in or curious about building a feminist internet.

 

Applications can be presented by individuals or organisations, including APC members, until 26 July 2024 23:59 PT. Individuals or single organisations can apply for a maximum of USD 5,000. Joint proposals from two organisations are also possible with a maximum budget of USD 15,000.

 

Background and context

In a context of increased surveillance, gendered digital mis/dis information, climate catastrophe, limitation of freedom of expression and shrinking of civic spaces, particularly for gender-diverse bodies and people of colour, both online and on-ground, the #FeministTechJoy grants encourage the transformative power of creativity to create safe spaces for all types of communities and individuals, to develop counter narratives that push back against ideas that seek to silence the voices and agency of feminist social justice movements, or simply express ideas that would otherwise not find a platform or even materialise.

Frequently the same individuals and collectives doing this type of work from the Majority World have limited access to funds or are not considered for funding because of rigid criteria, lack of flexibility or excessive requirements from funders, where exploratory ideas and unregistered organisations are overlooked. Trying to address and respond to this funding gap, APC WRP realises that even small contributions of resources are useful in facilitating new, exploratory ideas and initiatives or supplement ongoing work. We therefore dedicate funds from our core grants as part of our long-term commitment to support activities of partners and allies working towards a feminist internet.

 

 

Thematic Area: Feminist expression on the internet

The internet as a feminist technology is a site for celebration, play, power and pleasure, often in the face of and against overwhelming odds of oppression and injustice. In this call, we would like to invite applicants to explore the ideas of #FeministTechJoy and the transformative power of creativity for all communities and individuals to thrive online.

The overarching theme of #FeministTechJoy is important to incorporate into your proposals, as is the use of creative approaches that respond to feminist expression.

FPI on expression – In its current iteration, the Feminist Principle on Expression states:
We defend the right to sexual expression as a freedom of expression issue of no less importance than political or religious expression. We strongly object to the efforts of state and non-state actors to control, surveil, regulate and restrict feminist and queer expression on the internet through technology, legislation or violence. We recognise this as part of the larger political project of moral policing, censorship, and hierarchisation of citizenship and rights.

 

Thus, centred on feminist expression, these small grants are aimed at supplementing ongoing work as well as new experimental work in the area of capacity building and campaigns, research, including knowledge creation and content production. They are also available to accelerate the development of feminist infrastructure for online and on-ground organising and strengthen national and regional interventions around expression, digital security, safety and care for women, gender-diverse, LBGTIQA+ communities as well as structurally silenced groups (sex workers, WHRDs, Indigenous peoples, among others).

From memes, to music, fashion and digital art, the opportunity for creative pushback against injustice are plenty. This call invites representatives from all communities as well as activists, artists, writers, coders - all creative souls - to present their hard-to-fund, exploratory initiatives, centred on feminist expression, towards building a feminist internet.

The questions below are only prompts, some thoughts to get your creative juices going:

:: What does the FPI on expression mean to you, your community, your reality when it comes to freedom of expression, including expression of your sexuality, gender, work, culture and religion online?
:: Is pleasure and play still an important part of our movements towards a feminist internet? What does this look like? Who is doing what to remind us to play and seek pleasure?
:: How are we still seeking and finding pleasure online in today’s deeply violent and oppressive reality for people living and existing in the margins of normative society?
:: How are we learning from and integrating the work and bold ideas of sex-work movements in our work? How can we work closer with sex workers to build a feminist internet? What does sex work need from a feminist internet?
:: What stories can we tell about creative ways to keep safe online? What do we need? What don’t we have? Are there skills-shares to fill any gaps?
:: How are activists and communities using a feminist approach to technology to advance our individual and collective freedom of expression online?

Even if you are new in the creation of a feminist internet, we invite you to submit a proposal that presents reflections, possibilities, existing actions and realities, ideas, and plans that are working to advance the demands of the feminist principle on expression. Workshops, zines, community discussions, art, games – we invite you to interpret the theme in the best ways that work for your communities and activism.

Selection and timeline

Proposals will be selected for their creative and innovative approach to the grant theme of feminist expression and the overarching theme of #FeministTechJoy.

Regional and partner diversity in approach as well as work area will also inform selection. Preference will be given to those grantees that face particular funding difficulties from other more traditional sources.

Selected grantees will receive notification via email in August and grant funds distributed by early September. Proposed project activities must be implemented by end December 2024 and all reporting concluded by 31 January 2025.

Successful proposals will be published on www.apc.org. with consent from the applicants. Unfortunately, due to our limited capacity, we will not be able to give individual feedback on unsuccessful applications.

 

Eligibility
 

A. This is a private call. It is only open to organisations, individuals, collectives and groups that are known to, have worked with and/or have participated in APC WRP spaces and projects, meetings, gatherings, processes, etc. Applicants that are not known to APC WRP are not eligible to apply for this grant. Having said that, we welcome applications from APC WRP allies and partners: individuals, collectives, networks, groups, APC members, both registered and unregistered.

B. Applicants should be working towards a feminist internet and/or are curious and interested in expanding or deepening learning, sharing, ideas and initiatives that focus and highlight #FeministTechJoy in building a feminist internet.

C. Applicants need to be from the Majority World. These are countries, communities, identities and realities that are previously disadvantaged, denied equity and subject to silencing, and socially, economically, and culturally excluded from fully accessing their human rights.

D. Due to capacity limitations, we will not be able to consider more than one simultaneous application from the same individual, collective, network, group, or APC member.

E. Those initiatives selected for the 2023 #FeministTechJoy grant round are not eligible for the 2024 round.

 

Application

Please click here to fill in the small grants application.

For any questions related to the process, please contact apcwrp.smallgrants@apc.org

 

About APC Women’s Rights Programme

APC WRP is uniquely located within both the internet rights, women's movements, and LBGTIQA+ movements. WRP plays a vital role in bringing together people and organisations who have different perspectives and experiences, and in building relationships and trust within networks. We work with individuals, organisations and networks engaged on women’s rights, sexual rights and internet rights issues, to bridge the gap between the work of different movements.