My organisation, the Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre – W.TEC shared a statement about the ongoing #EndSARS protests. As an organisation whose values rest on equality of opportunity for all, especially girls and women, we support the demand for a reformed police force with better working conditions and an understanding of their charge to “serve and protect.”
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“The youth are the future” is a common saying. Over the last week, we have realised that the youth are NOW!
Years of systemic police brutality has exploded into the #EndSARS protests. Since last week, thousands of young people across the country and in the diaspora have taken to the streets to demand for an end to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit plagued with allegations of extrajudicial killings, theft and abuse. (Read more about #EndSARS here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_SARS)
The issues that the #EndSARS movement is fighting for are incredibly important to us at W.TEC because:
1. As Nigerian citizens, we should all be able to live and work freely without fear of harassment or brutality from the organisations set-up to protect us.
2. W.TEC’s work encourages young women to embrace and experiment with technology for professional, entrepreneurial and leadership success. Young people moving around with laptops and mobile phones have been disproportionately and unfairly targeted by SARS and the wider police.
Technology and innovation are moving the world forward and people who work in these sectors should be encouraged in their pursuits and not repressed. By using technology, Nigeria’s young people have been able to raise over N 62 Million Naira (at the time of writing this) and a huge amount of in-kind support.
The #EndSARS protests are not just about shutting down SARS (and resurrecting them under a different name), but to make the systemic changes required to reform the police, improve working conditions for members of the police force and ensure that all Nigerians can live and work in peace and true freedom.
There are so many ways to support to the protests and all are equally as important:
1. Share on Social Media using the #EndSARS hashtag to amplify the work of the protesters on the streets
2. Join a Live Protest. Don’t go alone and be safe. Check here for an updated list of protests around the world: https://bit.ly/31qEWcL
3. Donate Money to Fund legal services, medical aid, transport and other essential resources for protesters.
Check here for ways to donate: https://feministcoalition2020.com/
The Feminist Coalition has been giving updates on money raised and funds disbursed on their website and on Twitter.
4. Provide In-Kind Donations. If you have identified a need in any of the protests or have services to offer, identify a protest organiser or contact https://feministcoalition2020.com/
5. Have conversations about the issues within your networks and suggest ways to propel the movement forward.
Stay safe and engaged,
The W.TEC Team
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