Empowerment online leads to Empowerment offline

Empower to Empower

In this rapidly advancing age one might say technology rules the world and the Internet is King. With this combination it is pivotal that women rise to the occasion and embrace this age of technology for empowerment, education, knowledge, cause promotion and support, enhancement of life and living, equality, and the elimination of violence against women and girls, and men and boys.

Online empowerment certainly boosters and compliments offline empowerment and plays a crucial role in the mobilization of people, communities and change. It offers women a place where they can freely use their democratic rights of free speech, meet a global community of women regardless of ones geographical location.

More and more women are becoming aware of the importance of the Internet and computers for their work, networking, advocacy, training, support and having a place which gives no limitations so that they can express freely and share freely.

As we push for the enhancement and empowerment of women online empowerment is key in this process. It makes women confident, bold, informed, and motivates them to be empowered offline so they can implement projects no matter how small but positively effecting change for the better.

Online empowerment sets a standard for women which makes the person sitting behind the screen eager to share updates about their 9rograms, NGO's or groups. It calls for women to set a professional standard in the way things are done and also offers the support base to correct things when it needs to be corrected, vent when one needs to vent and agitate for change and reform.

People share their work with individuals they have never met for praise or approval or for assistance. Online empowerment encourages more women to education offline as they see the progress of other women and engage in online courses and training, it also encourages them to educate other women offline and break the cycle of illiteracy which is rampant.

Years ago ,any women were hindered by various limitations which society placed on them, and as such they never used the Internet as a place to lift their voices for the benefit of women and girls, men and boys as time progressed this has changed and most women are now comfortable behind the screen.

Today however there is still a large percentage of women who are not computer literate, women who are afraid of the Internet and it is the duty of fellow women and sisters who understand the power of the Internet, the power of the keystroke to advocate for the education of women.

To advocate for women to have access to computers and Internet service regardless of who they are and where they reside and such services must be free. There can be no action without knowledge and so women must be given the knowledge so they can act and utilize the Internet for progress and support and to demand change.

In 2012 the V-Day Movement launched a global campaign to end violence against women called 'One Billion Rising' Eve Ensler called upon women to Strike, Dance, Rise come February 14th, 2012. Women were encouraged to rise for justice and promote gender equality. This campaign took social media and the Internet by storm in fact it was the perfect storm and clearly showed how online empowerment can lead to offline empowerment.

In 2012, because of this campaign hundred of thousands of women were energized and empowered and on February 14th 2012 the campaign "culminated in the biggest mass global action to end violence against women ever seen." Women in over 190 countries organized events and took action on that day. They Strike, they sang, they danced, and they rose.

As an advocate and survivour PROSAF from St. Lucia invited me to speak on that day at the Dereck Wallcot square, meeting women for the first time, women I communicated with online for months was exhilarating and empowering.

This just goes to show how powerful online empowerment is, it gives a voices to the person who is silent and pushes them to break their silence offline. It gives support to persons who have no support and encourages them to form support groups in their community.

When campaigns are done online individuals can implement those campaigns offline to empower, educate, transform, and effective change. online empowerment changes the world offline. One person can initiate an online group for persons in their region or state and that group over time can meet offline and work to registering an NGO which will serve and benefit others.

Online empowerment is like a boost of faith and that faith electrifies the entire being and illuminates and ennobles the mind to perform the works in a physical location, the works of positive change, the works to end violence against women and girls, men and boys, the works for gender equality and freedom of speech and expression.

If there was ever a time for women to rise towards their calling and purpose it is this time, if there was ever a need for women to be empowered and educated it is now, if there was ever a time, a time when women need to be supported when grassroots women need to be recognized it is now. And if there was ever tools to be used in this fight, the Internet, mobile devices and computers are the tools necessary for the accomplishment of our purpose.

Now is the time to Rise, Strike, Use.