One Powerful Voice Can Change the World

Individually, we are one woman with one experience, one voice. Together, we are a force of nature, a voice of many who have countless experiences, viewpoints, ideas, and solutions. When women join hands and speak as one, our voice is heard throughout the world, our strength is unbreakable, and great change will follow that will benefit not only women, but humankind.

This hope is possible because of Web 2.0. It is an unprecedented era in communication, where women from the farthest reaches of the Earth can connect with each other in real time. Women who have never had the opportunity or ability to speak for themselves, for their voices to be recognized and heard, can now have that basic right. Never before have we had such an opportunity to learn from, listen to, and support each other. We can blog about our lives and receive comments from those who share our experiences and want to reach out, and from those who don't have the same experiences but are inspired to respond. We can start dialogue on any topic in discussion groups. We can share pictures, websites, documents, video, and audio. There is no limit to what we can share. Web 2.0 is a technological gift that we can use to help ourselves and others. Through interactive websites like PulseWire, women from all walks of life can collaborate, join together, and incite positive change and progress for women.

Even as a woman living in a free country, there are challenges, obstacles, and prejudices I face every day. Nonetheless, I am one of the lucky ones. Through the media, I have heard of the atrocities and injustices towards women in other countries, but the information is told in the third person. Hearing the stories from the women themselves, through Web 2.0 applications, makes the stories real--belonging to a person to whom you can reach out--and you can't help but be affected on a deep level. Listening to, and connecting with, these women gives me a truly global awareness, a real understanding of what women in these countries deal with on a daily basis, and a desire to help in any way that I can.

I am honored to be part of this community and excited by the possibilities that can result from women coming together and speaking as one powerful voice.