Voices of our future, Week 1 assignment

The presence of the internet in today's world is very important in enhancing the status of women worldwide. The internet is an important tool to receive and send information. By surfing the internet, women will have access to knowledge about patriarchal and oppression systems that they may be taking for granted. They will read the stories of women who challenged unjust practices and traditions. If the women believe that some of the traditional practices to their bodies are beneficial, for example circumcision or breast ironing, they can read scientific medical research that modifies their opinions.

In addition to accessing knowledge, women can use the internet, including Web 2.0 tools, to raise their voices and report the conditions of women in their societies. For instance, I never heard about breast ironing until i viewed the youtube video by World Pulse correspondent about this topic.

Most importantly, Web 2.0 allows the female to be part of a collectivity of women who have common worries and concerns, despite the differences in their language, nationality, age, and religion. Realizing that you are not the only suffering person will give you moral and psychological support, and you will be more enthusiastic to connect with women having similar experiences to try to find suitable solutions.

What excites me about web 2.0 is that it allows space for alternative voices. That ordinary citizens can write and share their experiences and the problems they face in their daily life. This is gradually contributing to positive social change, especially in developing countries like Lebanon, where I am from. For instance, few months ago a passenger at Beirut International Airport reported a discrimination incident against a fellow Srilankan passenger. The blog the passenger wrote was shared by tens of social media activists, and the airlines had to apologize about the incident and to fire the employee responsible of it. Yet, it should be noted that many blogs and accounts publish fake information, as was the case with the popular blog 'A Gay Girl in Damascus'.

Personally, I find the internet a perfect space to spread knowledge about the unjust practices against Muslim women in the name of religion. I am a devoted Muslim myself, but i am very frustrated of the available interpretations of Islam, especially regarding women. Many women accept oppression and take it for granted as a religious duty. It is time to aware all women that remaining silent about their oppression and mistreatment will never be an act of worship.