by Devi Leiper, Asia/Oceania Team

Photo courtesy isis International

Have you ever used Facebook to post a video about an issue that matters to you? Has a radio announcement ever moved you to make a donation in support of a social justice movement? How often do you receive email petitions that advocate for policy changes?

Rapid advances in information and communication technology are changing our world, raising voices, and bridging communities. Yet according to the Global Media Monitoring Project, only 24% of people in the news media are women. Moreover, women in the news are not seen as experts, and are more often than men asked their age and identified by their family status.

Global Fund for Women grantee partner Isis International, based in Manila, Philippines, launched the Activist School for Feminist Development Communications in April 2010. The school is an interactive and participatory learning space for activists to come together to share skills, knowledge, and experiences on how media technology can be used as an advocacy tool for women’s issues.

At each Activist School, participants swap stories of their experiences using Twitter, showcase videos produced by their own grassroots communities, and share lessons on how to compete in the male-dominated worlds of journalism and communication.“I traveled to a strange place, met lovely people, and learned meaningful things,” says Ou Xiaoou, a participant from Yunnan, China. A truly feminist site for the dreams and actions of women, the Activist School is enabling women to remain the world’s best story-tellers, whether on the radio or on YouTube.