Social Transformation in the Digital Age

I am humbled to be among the participants of ‘voices of our future 2013’. Thank you for the opportunity. I have gone through the week 1 reading materials and I know I am at the right place at the right time; it’s an opportunity of a life time; the information and global networking with likeminded people is awesome. Am excited to read and understand deeply about Web 2.0. I am now able to share my experiences and learn from others about theirs. Web 2.0 has made the world to become a real small village, being able to connected and interact with others who are over 6000 miles is real quantum leap. The participation bit of it is encouraging. For a long time, the media has been one sided with presenters being active and listeners being passive however with the advent of web 2.0 there is total overhaul. Feedback can be given instantly and in real time.
Web 2.0 has enhanced articulation of issues affecting women in different parts of the world. For instant in Kenya we have just concluded our 2013 general election in the new constitution however it’s sad to note that no woman was elected as a senator or governor and only 5.5% of them were elected as members of parliament. This is far compared to our Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda counterparts who have above 30% women representation in there parliaments. This forum is an important tool of understanding challenges that women face when vying for seats and possible solutions if not experiences from others.
I am happy that I will be using Web 2.0 tools in sharing experiences from my country, my people and what the girl child faces here, likewise it is the best forum to learn from others. On the other side it is important to put across that people who access this kind of media are below 10% in Kenya. All in all we will represent the voices of others for women empowerment and change starts with a few.