Gender Equality

In my environment gender equality for women is a no go area. Women are to be seen and not heard, they are seen as able appendages to men. There to cook and feed them, to take care of their children and to be hailed for giving birth to more males than females.

Gender equality is seen as a fabrication of westerners to engage feminism in the social strata of the nation. However the problem is not gender equality or the patriarchal system in itself, it is that the women pride themselves on falling into these roles and excelling in them. The average woman does not have a problem in foregoing her rights to a man, whether a father, brother or husband.

Mentally women reason that rebellion doesn't pay so it is best to keep these roles. What really excites me about Web 2.0; is the ability to create an environment where gender equality can thrive and bring changed mindsets to women in a variety of ways.

Use of the internet and all its features is not limited to men; even the strictest societies embrace that. Both women and men can now use the internet. Some women have been found to be specifically gifted in working with web 2.0 features which has made them invaluable in the environments they live and work in.

Because of this access, a subtle change has come into the way women are seen. Women scientists have increased especially in the area of Computer Science and Information Technology. Women who have graduated in these fields are now allowed as staff on oil rigs and other male dominated work enclaves where they could never have dreamt of participating in previously.

Women now have a stronger voice in leadership. Political aspirants, women participation in electoral activities are actively using the Web 2.0 features to promote an engendered environment sociopolitically. The use of Blogs, You Tube, Facebook and Twitter are all features promoting gender equality and the advancement of the status of women.

Whether all this was planned, intended or not, all these features coming from Web 2.0 are making women and girls in my country relevant, The types of jobs that were once available to men only are now available to both women and men; the only requirement being who does the job best.

The ease of access to information and learning through Web 2.0 is also enormously attractive as a tool of promoting gender equality in our society. Women in grassroots communities have access to the same information people in urban communities have. Young girls can build up and advance their creative thinking through "googling" class assignments for scoring higher grades.

The impact of Web 2.0 on education is fantastic in opening up the world to people who would ordinarily never be able to have access to an international culture. The ability of Web 2.0 to create an engendered environment where women themselves change culturally to embrace feminism as an advantage and not a negative is what excites me the greatest about Web 2.0 right now.