Reaching the world through the Web

I am excited about the fact that at last I have found a forum where I can be heard by thousands of people from different Continents, with diverse cultures, religions and races. More exciting is the fact that I can challenge the adage in my culture which says “women can only be seen, but not heard”, which means that women are only created to be companions and subjects to men, their views are neither considered nor taken. Also exciting is the fact that Web 2.0 will enable me to fulfill my dream of being a writer and publisher; and I hope to improve my readership, get inputs to my ideas and collaborate with people all over the world through this network, for a social change. It is most exciting to know that web 2.0 puts the power of information in my hands.
Women possess the key to unlocking the resource room that has the solutions to global problem, yet our voices are never sought for talk less of being heard. Some cultures belief and even express that women should only be seen, but not heard. Web 2.0 is a media program which will expand women’s empowerment movement. By increasing access to communication, Web 2.0 provides women of all walks of life the opportunity to promote their voices, it helps them to build and strengthen their collaboration, and accelerates the exchange of working models which empowers women and addresses global problems. Speaking our minds and sharing our visions with the world will make a whole lot of difference. When we air our views in writing, we will address the issues that affect us such as – our participation in politics and gender-based violence. We are also apt to challenge gender stereotypes more often than the men would do. In addition to our written voices, with the web 2.0, we connect with other women and share our vision, ambitions, aspirations, ideas and prospects for social change.
Web 2.0 will allow me to connect, express and transform myself as I collaborate with other people. Precisely, by self-publishing online, it will help me to raise awareness, as I speak with women across the globe to challenge existing ideas or expose under-reported issues in my community. By engaging in interactive online communities, I can create connections and network with other people who have ideas and visions similar to mine, thus can brainstorm solutions, answer questions, test ideas, share success stories and take actions. More so by working online with web 2.0, I can build movements by introducing my projects, ideas and solutions to a global audience and then making connections that can then support and invigorate my offline work. I can learn from the working examples of the opportunities provided by the New Media that other correspondents have published such as “Torture in Egypt” an example of Raising Awareness, “The Rafiki Club” an example of Creating Connections, and “Ushahidi” an example of Building Movements.