VOF Week 1: (Women Empowered By 2.0)

Women Empowered By 2.0

In my mind, Web 2.0 represents empowerment of women through 2.0 means—individual expression and collective space. As women interface with Web 2.0 through World Pulse or other online portals, they are called upon to search deep within themselves to find a voice, determine their purpose, and take a chance by expressing those intimate realities to the world. Upon taking that leap and exposing themselves to a virtual community, women find a collective space—a space for collaboration, support, contradiction, challenge, navigation and a sense of home.

What excites me about Web 2.0 is the possibility that women from all walks of life can have a voice. This is immensely important in a world where women are too often denied education and independence, and physically and mentally silenced—a proverbial gagging of one half of the world’s human population. This is a tragedy. While Web 2.0 cannot immediately alter women’s realities, specifically the structural forces that oppress them, simply having a voice can be life changing and the first step towards interpersonal development. The value of this cannot be underestimated.

Once we provide women the opportunity to speak their mind in a safe space, we have broadened the base and tapped into an additional source of soldiers/fighters/ground-breakers for the global movement for women’s empowerment. We have also broadened the depth of the movement by diversifying the perspectives and experiences to be embraced within the movement. Through providing a medium for women to connect, they can reach out and rely on each other to sharpen their ideas and to build comprehensive strategies for change.

On a personal note, Web 2.0 empowers me to step out of my daily routine and think beyond my privileged existence. As a White educated woman from the United States of America, who was raised by a loving family in a secure home, I have been able thrive and live independently. One of my life’s missions is to both unpack this privilege through internal exploration and utilize it to enable other women to empower themselves. While I am currently working toward this goal through human rights work, Web 2.0 provides a more direct forum to reach out and collaborate with others.

Thank you World Pulse.