It's #TimeToAct: global summit to end war rape wins support from celebrities including Stella McCartney and Jemima Khan

Hashtag activism is a unified voice among the tide of violence towards women. As a global summit to end war rape begins in London, Rosamund Urwin grabs a board
Rallying to the cause: Stella McCartney (left) and Jemima Khan
Rosamund Urwin10 June 2014

It starts with a single tweet, a lone shout from silicon speakers’ corner. The message spreads swiftly, crescendoing as it reverberates around the internet. Soon, it becomes a rallying cry, a global call for action. This is “hashtag activism” — and it’s the newest tool for campaigners fighting to end violence against women and girls.

Not so long ago the list of trending topics on Twitter was dominated by declarations of love for Harry Styles and loathing for any of the ladies being linked to the Prince of Pop. Now, these sit beside far more serious messages, 140-character declarations of war on injustice, gender inequality and the abuse of women. These hashtags hop from Twitter to Tumblr to Instagram, where the famous pose with hand-written placards.

The most high-profile of these in the past two months has been #BringBackOurGirls. The militant Islamist group Boko Haram has long terrorised Nigeria — and murdered 59 schoolboys in February — but the kidnap of 270 schoolgirls finally registered with the outside world. Local lawyer Ibrahim M Abdullahi invented the hashtag and it has since been retweeted two million times. Michelle Obama, David Cameron, Madonna and Girls creator Lena Dunham have all given their support, helping to shine a spotlight on the situation in Nigeria.

#TimeToAct: Celebrities, designers, directors, foodies and journalists show their support

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The past three weeks — which have revealed a veritable smorgasbord of global misogyny — have given rise to three more hashtags. First, there was #yesallwomen, a riff on the perpetual complaint whenever gender-related violence is discussed that “all men” aren’t responsible. This conversation was sparked by Elliot Rodger in California whose killing spree married misogyny and mental illness. Rodger detailed the extent of his hatred of women on video: “I don’t know why you girls aren’t attracted to me, but I will punish you all for it. It’s an injustice, a crime.”

In India, #WakeUpAkhilesh called upon the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, to do more to address sexual violence in the region. It came after the gang rape and murder of two young cousins found hanging from a tree. Meanwhile, “SaveMeriam” is the campaign to free Meriam Ibrahim, who has been sentenced to death in Sudan for refusing to recant her Christian faith.

Today, there’s a new hashtag: #timetoact. It’s the slogan for the three-day global summit to fight sexual violence in conflict zones which starts today at the ExCeL Centre. Sexual violence, already a global epidemic, is used in warfare as a weapon against women. The event is being co-chaired by the odd-couple/dream team William Hague and Angelina Jolie. It has already won support from Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, Jemima Khan, Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman and Net-a-Porter’s Natalie Massenet.

Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has also given her backing to the campaign. “Sexual violence during conflict requires immediate and urgent action,” she says. “It’s in times of terrible conflict that we see women at their most resilient. Their strength holds together their communities and their families. When sexual violence occurs, it attacks that strength at its core and threatens the wellbeing of communities.”

Jude Kelly, the artistic director of the Southbank Centre, adds: “When will violence against girls and women stop being treated as normal and inevitable? Only when men and women together insist on change.”

Critics have questioned the efficacy of hashtag activism. It is no panacea: it cannot return the more than 200 girls still missing, nor can it single-handedly eradicate violence against women. But it educates. It acts as a path from popular culture to politics. It gives publicity to causes that are may otherwise be overlooked and refuses to let the plight of those suffering slip down the agenda.

So please add your voice to the campaign — one more step in the battle to eradicate sexual violence in warzones. It’s definitely #timetoact.

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