SOCIAL MEDIA AND WOMEN
EMPOWERING THE
WOMEN THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA- TECHNOLOGIES
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETY CAN BE
IMPROVED IF WOMEN ARE EMPOWERED.
Communication
is extremely important for women‟s development and Social Media plays significant role.
Role
of social media is important to
empower women because it gives self reliance and there is a
visible effect of media on every sphere of life.
It is
reported that with access to internet at homes, women are using it for
multiple purposes. It has enabled
women to participate in important daily affairs of state that ranges from
household work to education, health and governance.
The development of social media technologies created various
opportunities for the women population to plead their opinions in a social media platform to share, raise the
voice of women when their voices are restricted and couldn't be bought out by
the mainstream media
In
the social media space, women can overtake from the deliberate male
domination.
The social media has an important role to play – to create awakening in women to achieve their potential as the
prime movers of change in society.
REASON FOR ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN
Studies that analyze female leadership in the Internet, and particularly, in social
apps. Out that Pinterest
and Instagram are two channels that have become mostly feminine,
while Facebook comes in third.
We don't have a
choice on whether we do social media,
the question is how well we do it"- Erik Qualman
Women's leadership in
social networks can tear down old stereotypes and demographic categories,
generating a real impact on media, advertisement and entertainment.
Increase in Social
Media Users in India
The
data reveals that there were 448 million social media users in India in January
2021, and that the number of social media users in the country has
significantly increased by 78 million between 2020 and 2021.
This means more than 32.3 percent of India's
population is active on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter,
WhatsApp and Instagram.
Video-streaming
platform YouTube is the most popular platform in 2021. More than 85 percent of
India's Internet users consume content on YouTube.
Followed
by Facebook, which is used by 75 percent of the Indians.
While
WhatsApp stands on the third position in popularity in India.
The ratio of
male to female active Internet users is almost the same in rural and urban
India.
About 57% of
active Internet users in urban India are men and 43% are women.
In rural
India, 58% of active Internet users are men and 42% are women.
About 96% of
users access the internet for entertainment, while
90% use it
for communication and
82% to access
social media platforms. About
45% have made
some form of online transaction and
28% regularly
shop online
Women participate in social networks they can, for instance, upload
photos on Instagram and at the same time “like” a post on Facebook and share a
link on LinkedIn.
Men, in contrast, have a more linear
participation. “In general, they are more selective when engaging in
conversations and tend to share similar-format content,”.
Another study reveals that 33%
of women use Facebook as a way to communicate with friends and that 8 out
of 10 prefer using social networks to connect better with others through chats.
Men mostly tend to compile
information, check videos and create content, and prefer giving their opinion
on different issues on Twitter.
While women tend to know
the news, sales and discounts,
Men only follow them
because they like them or because they identify with the brand but they do not
engage in a relationship with the company that they are following.
Women, however, generate
feedback; they give their opinion on products and participate in sweepstakes,
among others.
To
understand how social media can be used wisely to empower women in a
conservative cultured society like India.
“Women are very
active on social media and they communicate naturally across them because
they share similar communicative logic.
Women’s leadership in social networks can tear down old stereotypes and demographic
categories, generating a real impact on media, advertisement and entertainment
Women are more active on social media;
they use it more and participate
more than men. This is why it is believed that they will mark
trends from now on, since they have typically adapted more and better to the
technology.
Social media has proven to be a
powerful mechanism in bringing attention to women’s issues, galvanizing
action worldwide and advocating to policy makers efficiently and
effectively.
By overcoming obstacles such as distance
and geography, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have created a platform for
awareness - local issues are able to become global concerns, and local
activists become connected with global citizens.
Increasing female leadership in media
organizations can ensure that advocacy is able to influence both
decision-making processes and public awareness on key women’s rights issues
SOCIAL MEDIA IN EMPOWERING WOMEN
Impact
Of Social Media On Indian Women
India has a population
of 1.2 billion people, with women accounting for roughly half of the
population. Today, technology directly impacts women's development and has
enabled their voice to reach out and be viewed . Today, technology directly
impacts women's development and has enabled their voice to reach out and be
viewed globally.
According to a recent Goggle report, the
Internet is empowering Indian women by providing them with easy access to
information and allowing them to make more educated decisions in their daily
lives.
The
Social Media Revolution And Women's Empowerment
Activists all over the world have used platforms like
YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter to broadcast live events to a large online
audience. Women's rights organisations have also jumped on board to take use of
social media's unmatched political and awareness-raising potential. The rise of
female bloggers has helped to attract a younger generation of activists, who
are a major target audience for breaking down preconceptions and advancing
gender equality.
Political participation
In many parts of the world, social media platforms have
helped the discourse around the toxic implications of sexualised power gain
momentum in the recent years
The Wikigender online conversation and
study identified three areas where social media has aided women's political
activism:
After
the 2012 gang rape and subsequent death of a young Delhi physiotherapy student,
the hashtag #DelhiGangRape brought
gender-based violence in India into the spotlight. The hashtag campaign brought
into effect public street mobilization, resulting in the government introducing
specific anti-rape provisions in the Criminal code. The success of this protest
has been largely credited to the use of Facebook, Twitter and other social
media sites, which allowed people all over the world to express their
frustration and have their voice be heard.
Hashtag activism has helped to mobilize
public attention on women's rights, increasing the visibility of issues that
are under-reported in mainstream media. Example : The success of UN Women's
high-profile #HeForShe campaign demonstrates the power of social media to reach
new and wider audiences: the campaign reached over 1.2 billion people worldwide,
highlighting the necessity to involve men and boys to attain gender equality.
Another
example of high profile cases of sexual assault such as those in the #MeToo movement, along
with subsequent media attention and overwhelming condemnation of abuse, has
transformed a previously unacknowledged topic, one that was spoken of in
whispers or euphemisms if even discussed at all, to one of global interest and
reach.
Social
Media Activism
Cyber-activism is a growing field among activist. The
people those who have use internet and initiate various activities like
demonstrations, public protests etc. Social media technologies have been widely
used to spread information in a short time. People indulge in social media to
form a network in order to socialize themselves and stay connected with other
people. The message once passed or posted reaches many.
Women
Protests Via Social Media
Women To Drive
On May 2011 Manal al-sharif posted a video on online
showing herself driving. This could sound very normal thing for any other women
in the western or in eastern countries. But, Manal was imprisoned as women of
Iran are totally restricted from driving. A hashtag #Women2Drive Campaign in Facebook,
Twitter and Youtube got viral which influenced Manal to video herself driving.
That video was viewed more than 700,000 times before it was removed from
Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAA8LOWEY9Y
My Silent
Freedom
In 2014 an Iranian Journalist Masih Alinejad posted a
picture in online which showed her in free hair, breeze ruffling her hair
gently. The photo became viral in social media. It provoked an instant reaction
among the women in her country. The reason was she was not wearing a hijab, a
headscarf to cover the entire head and hair. She named the picture as My Silent
Freedom, which turned out to be a Facebook page receiving 770,000 likes and
majority of the likes were from Iran internet users. Somehow later Iran women
started to upload their pictures in this page without wearing a hijab. Alinejad
received a human rights award at the Geneva Summit. She commented on her action
as It's not about a headscarf, Its' about human dignity.
What is Women Will Web platform?
Launched in 2015, the Google For India event has been helping
Indian society to grow in multiple ways possible including the Internet Saathi
program with TATA Trust. Based on learnings from the Internet Saathi program,
Google has launched the Women Will web platform. This will be complemented
by community support, mentorship and accelerator programs for rural women
entrepreneurs. Through this Google For India aims to support women in rural
areas of the country to pursue their ambitions and improve their livelihoods
through entrepreneurship.
Social media can also be a useful resource for entrepreneurs
to learn new skills that will benefit their businesses. These benefits are
derived even by small-scale businesses in conflict zones.
In Kashmir, for
instance, many women use social media to promote the products they make in
their informal, home-based enterprises—such as jewellery, Kashmiri craft, and
textiles. According to the president of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, there are approximately 4,000 women-led online businesses in the
Kashmir Valley.
According to the Women’s
World Banking Report 2019, women micro-entrepreneurs in India reported
using WhatsApp to communicate with customers and vendors.[ Other than WhatsApp, women entrepreneurs in
India also use platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to expand
networks and make new connections:
98 percent use Facebook for their business,
94 percent use
WhatsApp, and
7 percent use
Instagram.[28]
The study also found that 71 percent of the women who are
more likely to use social media for their business and business-related
communication, were the sole decision-makers for their businesses.
Twitter’s survey of some
522,992 tweets from 10 cities in India, conducted between January 2019 and
February 2021,
indicated that for
24.9 percent of Indian women, the most popular subjects of conversation are
on individual passion
points like books and entertainment,
followed by current
affairs, celebrations, finding camaraderie and support, and
social issues.
The same survey found that about
20.8 percent of Indian women on Twitter used the platform to
stay informed of local and international news; and
11.7 percent of them, to find like-minded peers by utilising
the power of hashtags.
Meanwhile, 6.9 percent
of Indian women tweeted about their daily lives,[c]
and around 4.2 percent engaged in personal
conversations around topics like romantic relationships and mental health.[22]
Figure 3. Age-wise female
Facebook users in India (%)
In
India, there are around 50 Crore Internet users. It is growing at a rate of 10%
per year in the urban areas and 13% per year in the rural areas. Similarly,
one-third of internet users in India are women. Today, a person spends an
average of 145 minutes every day on social media. These platforms have a
significant degree of influence on people’s political, social, and economic
lives. Here too, a major part of users are women. Thus, is it important to find
out, how seriously these platforms are dealing with gender issues including
representation, safety, and security? Why access to Social media is
important for women:
Initially, social media used to be a
medium of entertainment or chatting and interaction within a closed group of
friends. However, now social media provides immense opportunities and benefits
in social, political, and economical domains. It has also become a golden
opportunity for women in traditional families who are not able to step outside
their homes.
- Building Interpersonal
Relationships: Social Media allows users to build social
capital and nurture interpersonal relationships. More than two-thirds of
the youth in India use social media to stay in touch with their families
and friends. Thus, it provides women not going outside their home an
opportunity to interact with people all our the world. It improves their
self-confidence and self-esteem.
- Awareness and Information
sharing: Unlike in traditional media, the content on
social media also, is created by users. The platforms are not just for
broadcasting, but more for being avenues for dialogue.
- A recent Twitter survey showed 25%
of Indian women have a keen interest in discussing books and
entertainment over social media.
- Economic Benefits: Social media provides scope
for women-owned businesses to increase their growth and access formal
financial services.
- It allows women to conduct their
business online, thus eliminating the need for investment in physical
spaces.
- It also paves the way for better
engagement with other businesses, closer customer interaction, and more
efficient responses to customer feedback.
- According to the Women’s
World Banking Report 2019, many women micro-entrepreneurs in India
use WhatsApp to communicate with customers and vendors.
- Addressing Grievances: These platforms also act as a forum
for many women to garner support in solidarity, against their
sufferings.
- For instance, The ‘Me Too’
movement against sexual harassment gained worldwide popularity
through Twitter beginning in 2017. Under this, the survivors shared their
sexual harassment experiences on social media.
- Similarly, Indian women launched a
campaign on Twitter, with the help of the hashtag “LahuKaLagaan”.
It was against the 12 percent tax on sanitary napkins. The government
rolled back the tax after the social media outrage.
Numerous steps have already been taken
for improving women’s safety over online platforms to allow them to reap the
potential benefits.
Obstacles
for women in accessing social media:
However, it is nothing like that all
women have access to social m
According to a research study conducted by Newzoo, today nearly 46% of all gamers are women.
However, female representation in the gaming
industry is still lacking. According to a survey conducted by the First-20
group, women only occupy 16% of senior management positions at leading gaming
companies. T
From cinema scenarios to the landscapes of familiar offices –
women dominating in the department of Social Media
Marketing seems to be a notable
trend. And though the ratio difference is not extreme (varying by specific job
title) in a working world where the percentage of full time employees that are
women is only 44% in the United States,
The woman who uses social media as a ‘digital business card’
“I
always say that I utilize social media, in particular Instagram, as an extension of my
business card. The first thing I do as a consumer is go to a company’s
Instagram feed and check them out. In my opinion, it doesn’t really matter how
many people follow you, or how many likes you get; what matters is taking the
time and effort to create engaging, original content that fits your brand.
Social media has been fundamental in growing our Scooteroma business. Our vespa
tour of Rome is such a dynamic activity that it’s easy and natural for our
clients (and me) to share this authentic Roman experience with a photo or
video. And as an added bonus, our Instagram account has become a
platform for press, journalists, publications, and bloggers to find us.”
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