Ruling Masculinity and Web 2.0 For Women

Experience has shown that certain situations call for alternative measures. The existence of web2.0 has therefore demonstrated that women are great agent for change.

Unlike in the -80s, the opportunities provided now, by online portals have significantly influenced women activism, globally and locally. For example, one of the online success outcomes has been the establishment of the UN Women. The call for an independent UN Women, a campaign led by GEAR “The Global Gender Equality Architecture Reform” together with other Women Networks, effectively used the web 2.0 to gather across the globe signatories that supported the creation of an independent UN body purposefully to represent women's interest.

On the other hand, online portals have also have meaningful impact on women; socio-economically and politically. The significance of ICT for self-development and empowerment has catapulted my community women’s mobilization. Through which women’s issues have gained central focus not only at the local government but also on most international conversation. Example include; girls’ education in Cameroon, Sexual and Gender Based Violence against women; Breast Ironing etc.

The online space is very diverse and is always having new and voluminous flow of useful information about women and women's movement. And apparently, these portals have been a challenged to the ruling masculinity vision for ‘a better world for all’. Contradicting these views, feminists movement within the nation and abroad have recommends that states’ considerations for democracy, good governance and development and (or) states security etc., should not be divorce from gender imbalance or women’s insecurity challenges.

However, living in a society where the values uphold are extremely biased on women and girls; where women’s concern has been made to be seen as private only. All these therefore make the young people (women) feared to speak out, so as not to be regarded the ‘bad ‘ones or to not be sent to jail (prison) for challenging the political regime. In this case, web2.0 has certainly been an amazing platform for me to reach out to these young women, through my blogs,ZoFem, Facebook, Tiwitter/ZoFem Account as well as the many online programs like Women Under 30 in encouraging young women to standup and speak out for themselves. Through which a few young women are able to acquire the knowledge in clearly articulating their needs.

Additionally, the use of web2.0 has served as a broad window opportunity for me to find my voice too. Online media has exposed me to a lot of activisms occurring within my neighborhood and the globe at large. It has enabled me to benefit from mentoring sessions. It has also offered me the opportunity to network and share my experience on knowledge-based issues affecting women in my community without fear of any form of intimidation or tyranny dictates.

I believe that new (online) media is one of the very few medium where “If there is a book you really want to read, but it has not been written yet, then you (must / can) write it” (KhairuWorld).