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Other than supporting the various causes and rights of women all around the world by posting and sharing them on social media. Another thing that we could do is by educating others on the history of feminism and the current inequalities faced by women today. We could tell others the stories and injustices that fellow women had encountered throughout history and how it is important to remember their sacrifices. It is so that others may be able to gain a deeper understanding of why feminism and the rights of women are still very important to stand by today. The educating could be done by writing virtual articles, tweets and even videos to inform and educate others.

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We should commemorate the countless forgotten or discredited women who have carried the world’s improvement on their shoulders in history. Through technology, a single person can reach thousands with just one post. With this, we can help spread the truth and bring light to all the women in the past who deserve their long-due glory through different social media outlets, promoting justice through information.

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We should use our numerous social media platforms to raise awareness on current issues happening related to these topics, and use these to educate those around us. We should also use these to remember and celebrate the many outstanding women who have contributed in the modernization and progression of our world today. Many people remain uneducated on past and present issues that they could help or spread awareness about which is why we should do everything we can, even just a like or a share, to get these videos to the proper audience.

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Through social media, a hashtag became trending. "#challengeaccepted" Women popular or not created a chain of posts in instagram where they post a photo of themselves in black and white with the caption of #challengeaccepted and nominate another woman to accept the challenge. They also included "#womensupportingwomen" that indicates a unified image building a chain of support to women. In this way, we are able to unite women to support and encourage each other and to show the capabilities of women and to spread positivity from woman to woman.

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‘Challenge Accepted’: Why Women Are Posting Black-and-White Selfies (Published 2020)

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A campaign that purports to be about “women supporting women” is filling people’s Instagram feeds with striking, if opaque, imagery.

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We should use technology to our advantage to promote awareness about gender equality and other arising issues. This would open up new opportunities for women to speak out about their own experiences, which would also encourage diversity and break gender stereotypes. With this, more people will support and celebrate feminism and how it can help grow our communities into a positive home for everyone.

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The use of social media has become the main scenario of contemporary online communication and, therefore, it plays a key role in the process of creating a global identity. Thus far, it has been the place where new names, icons, slogans or mottos have been shared, and where the revolutionary narrative has shaped and created the basis for the emerging activism trends and collective actors that played a crucial role during certain social movements (Gerbaudo & Treré, 2015).

Digital activism or cyberactivism represents a new paradigm used to build up an online community, connect with other users and spread a message within and beyond country borders. Although, there is still a huge part of society that has no access to the online sphere, digital activism may provide a space and a platform to empower marginalized voices, giving them the chance for cross-boundary dialogue.

These platforms are the starting point for different types of social movements, for instance, the "Fridays for Future" (2018) campaign that the young activist Greta Thunberg started; or #Stayhome (2020), a campaign to create awareness about a global situation during the first lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic. Furthermore, social media can also serve as a platform to mobilize people to seek justice for any human rights violations such as "HollaBack" (2005), "SlutWalk" (2011), "Bring Back our Girls" (2014), "Me Too" (2017) or "Black Lives Matter" (2020). It's through social media campaigns, online petitions, blogs, crowdfunding platforms etc., where people seek justice and solidarity. Therefore, these movements grow, become viral and stronger. Nonetheless, it is clear that before these hashtags become viral, there's a reason behind them that goes beyond the action. For example, #BringBackOurGirls was not only a hashtag that sought justice for the 200 schoolgirls that were abducted by Boko Haram in Nigeria, but also served as a ground-breaking movement to advocate for social changes in the socio-cultural, political and economic fields in the country (Akpojivi, 2019); or #BlackLivesMatter, a social movement that started with George Zimmerman's acquittal regarding Trayvon Martin's death, back in 2013, which represented the cherry on the cake regarding the situation black people have to face in the US on a daily basis. These huge campaigns have reached millions of people and gathered other voices on the ground that have joined the movements.

For its part, feminist activism has jumped into the online landscape, aiming to achieve gender-based dialogue as well as expand its message and reach people beyond borders. In this regard, these spaces created by women activists are the starting point to building up identity discussions and online dialogue with a gender perspective. However, there is an existing gap, especially in the MENA region, where only women in the academy or in privileged situations are allowed to have a presence in the online world (Newsom & Lengel, 2021).

Women's Rights in the Digital Sphere

The #MeToo campaign can be understood as the zenith of the previous social media campaigns to denounce sexual harassment and gender violence, worldwide. Sexual violence has several stages, such as sexual harassment, gender violence, sexual assault, rape, incest, sexual abuse, etc. So, social media campaigns have been targeting these different scenarios by using different types of messages. For instance, several anti-street harassment campaigns have been launched online such as HarassMap in Egypt, Harasstracker in Lebanon, Tell Your Story in Turkey or Dear Catcallers in the Netherlands.

The #MeToo campaign, which took the world by storm in 2017, gathered female voices around the globe. Although this was a worldwide feminist movement, it especially empowered women in the MENA region (Basch-Harod, 2019). By 2021, with an estimated population of 440 million in the Arab states, only around 66% of people in MENA had access to the Internet, a percentage that has been progressively increasing over the years. Even though it is a clearly increasing trend, there is still a huge existing gap between men and women, since women still have less access to the Internet (56%) than men (68%). Nonetheless, although the gap is still big, it has not prevented women's activism, which has increased.

"You will never walk alone" or "I believe you" are some of the messages that this hashtag conveys, creating a community of solidarity and understanding. This campaign has become an intersectional feminist online movement that calls women to join, not only to support and to create community but also to share their testimonies of harassment and sexual assault, to draw a bigger picture of this never-ending situation. #MeToo is built on the many actions that feminist activism has previously undertaken, particularly in relation to the "naming and contestation of previously hidden forms of sexual violence (Loney-Howes et al., 2021)." Since the early 2000s, digital activism has been creating its own space through the different existing platforms such as Blogger (2003), WordPress (2004), Facebook (2004), Twitter (2006), Sina Weibo (2009) or WeChat (2011). These platforms were - and still are - the key tool for communicating news, information and for mobilizing activism both online and offline for several women's rights movements. Digital activism has become a mechanism within society to create awareness on both individual and collective levels, always using that space for sharing and to show to other people around the world that they are not alone.

Women are challenging the regional and the national sphere by speaking out. According to some scholars, by bringing social issues into public contestation, the issues become "political" (Sreberny, 2015). A clear example is the online response after the attack a woman suffered in Egypt in a demonstration in Cairo's Tahrir square, back in 2015. The beating of the so-called Blue Bra Girl, who was a protester beaten up by the Egyptian military, was all over the Internet thanks to the many women and protesters that captured the moment and shared it on YouTube and Facebook. The protester became an icon of the fight against violence, and the hashtag #BlueBra was used to gather women to take to the streets. This happened to be one of the biggest demonstrations by Egyptian women. This is only one of the many more examples that have dyed the social media activism landscape during the first two decades of this century. In 2019, the Facebook page "My Stealthy Freedom" reached over one million followers. This campaign started in 2014, when an Iranian journalist posted a picture on Facebook of herself without a hijab. This led to a massive response of Iranian women doing the same, posting pictures of themselves without the chador, creating a huge community of women that spoke out against the obligation to wear this Iranian garment. In Morocco, back in 2013, #RIPAmina was a campaign against the Penal Code's Article 475, that allowed a rapist to avoid prosecution and jail if he married the victim. Thanks to mobilization and public pressure, this article was repealed in 2014. Or when, in 2017, Lebanese women created the hashtag #Abolish522 or #Undress522, to protest against the decision of the Parliament to abolish the marriage loophole. Women activists filled social media with videos and photos sharing the same message: "A white dress doesn't cover the rape." In August 2021, the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, and an even worse humanitarian crisis began. Women's rights disappeared. The initial reaction on social media was strong, condemning the action, condemning the violence and showing support to the people. However, the multiple tweets by institutions, governments and high-level politicians led to nothing but actions in accordance with the rules on diplomatic behaviour. Many people in Afghanistan, especially women, had to close their social media accounts for their own safety. By the end of the year, the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan vanished from the majority of the world's agenda, but in the social media sphere it lived on. On 23

March, the Taliban banned girls from returning to school indefinitely and on 7 May, it banned Afghani women from showing their faces in public. #LetAfghanGirlsLearn and #FreeHerFace are some of the main hashtags that have become trending topics all over the Internet, and not thanks to government institutions, but rather because of the people and journalists. These trends have become viral, looking to seek justice for women in Afghanistan. Even though this may not have a short-term political impact, it is a constant reminder that girls and women in Afghanistan have no rights. And it has not been limited to the online sphere, but also went to the streets. Women, especially young women, in the country are facing the Taliban by taking to the streets to protest against the prohibition and to go to school, knowing what their fate may be. Furthermore, #FreeHerFace mobilized not only women but also a few men, something that has never been seen before in the country. Some men on Afghan television channels, such as Tolo News, joined the #FreeHerFace movement, and started to wear masks in solidarity to their female coworkers and to protest against the Taliban's decision (Joya, 2022).

Reporting gender violence on social media follows a similar pattern. Most of the time, as mentioned before, a hashtag linked to some specific case is supported by a vast social movement. One individual case is transformed into a broader problem within society. In other words, it questions and confronts the government's actions and its judicial system, e.g. the case of #lamanada in Spain, where five men raped an 18-year-old woman in Pamplona, in 2016. When the case was reported it grew stronger and a huge community was generated seeking justice for the victim and protesting against the system. Social media platforms also serve to shed light on investigations, which are not always transparent. Users use social media as a space to add extra non-official information, confronting governments or national authorities. #FindHinyUmoren was a campaign created by activists in Nigeria in 2020, due to the disappearance of a young woman on her way to work. This campaign sets the perfect example of the evolution of the changing narrative during the different processes in the investigation of a case involving gender-based violence. We can divide this campaign into three different stages. The movement started with the aim of finding her by sharing pictures of her using the hashtag. When she was found dead, the hashtag twisted and was used to find and add more information about the murderer. And in the last stage, the hashtag was also used as a space to grieve as well as to seek justice for her. These campaigns are in constant evolution, although their ultimate goals remain unchanged.

Digital Activism in the New Era

The old concept of activism has changed, along with the way younger generations in the region express and tell their stories. Older generations never had this chance. Social media and digital platforms have now become a useful tool within the feminist activism framework, not only for individuals but also for a large number of women's rights organizations. Many of these organizations in the Middle East and North Africa use these platforms to approach people, engage with them in conversations about women's rights and share reflections on current events, challenges and feminist issues. It has been proved that these online spaces are already quite accessible and cost-effective for feminist and women's rights organizations working towards social change and gender equality. It has clearly made their work more visible and facilitated the connection between communities as well as reaching their audiences. Online feminism has crossed borders, reached people, disseminated important information among women and has responded to the continuous needs of women around the world (Qazzaz, 2021). In recent years, therefore, online feminist activism, especially in the region, has provided the possibility of engaging and creating a network of feminists from all over the globe, who can mobilize and practise solidarity (Qazzaz, 2021).

On another level, social media, especially Twitter, have been used not only to denounce gender violence but also as an information weapon. Activists act as barrier breakers bringing new information to specific cases, most of the time, non-official information, which is complementary to what can be found in the media. In some cases, this new information refutes fake news and disinformation. Ultimately, the role of activists is to shed light on the attempts at justifying gender violence, while creating awareness and social responsibility (UOC, 2021).

Online activism faces trolling and cyberbullying on a daily basis, and the fight for women's rights has been continually challenged with threats, harassment or discrimination. Digital campaigns and movements have brought the division of society into the online landscape. On the one hand, it has had a positive effect, gathering many women around the world and creating a massive community of feminism. But, on the other hand, it has been an open space for anti-feminist hate speech and perpetual intimidation. Despite all the hatred and disinformation, digital activism has served as the tool to not only spread a message, anger and discomfort, but also to empower and gather a powerful revolutionary movement, leading many women in the MENA region to take to the streets and stand up against violence, harassment and rape and fight for their rights.

Notes

References

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The Role of Social Media in the Fight for Women's Rights

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Despite all the hatred and disinformation, digital activism has served as the tool to not only spread a message, anger and discomfort, but also to empower and gather a powerful revolutionary movement, leading many women in the MENA region to take to the streets and stand up against violence, harassment and rape and fight for their rights.

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One of the most general ways to celebrate feminism and women through social media or technology is by simply showing our support to them. Another simply way is to educate others’ about the feminist movement and women who have contributed to our society today. We have the ability to celebrate our fellow peoples’ achievements through our simple screens. An example of said educating is through our very own organization, Astrea. Through Astrea’s simple and conscise posts we can all become more educated about women, gender rights and its history.

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Tiktok, an app where many young girls and women can be inspired by their fellow females who shares their experiences in life whether that may be struggles or success. Through apps like this, we can entertain and be creative while giving the audience a lesson, let them know their rights, and accept themselves as a woman. Both creator and audience can learn from each other and create a space where they can empower each other.

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TikTok, now a tenet for women, provided an interactive space where they uplift other women and make their voices heard.

The other side of TikTok? Definitely for #womenoftiktok and #womenentrepreneurs.

We celebrate women in International Women's Month/Women's History Month in March. Hence, last March 8, we commemorated International Women's Day.

TikTok pays tribute to all the inspirational women by providing them with a powerful platform to promote body positivity, inclusivity, creativity or self-expression, environmental awareness, and even self-love.

A Quick Fact-Check...

Over two-thirds of worldwide consumer spending is controlled by women. In other words, women account for the majority of consumer expenditure for personal use and enjoyment by individuals and households. Simply said, women contribute significantly to the economy through services, durable and nondurable items, and labour.

This means that women can be their own boss and join the business world with the right motivation and learning. Furthermore, you can find a lot of women entrepreneurs sharing tips and their stories to success. This narrative helps inspire other women out there who are stuck in work they aren't passionate about.

Women help women because QUEENS help QUEENS.

In Tiktok, Women is THE brand

Tiktok is like an open forum for women to express themselves authentically online. Around 30% of the female population felt represented by advertisements seen on Tiktok.

According to a recent poll conducted by TikTok to female Tiktok users, 56% say they wouldn't post videos anywhere else, 85% say they discover content they can relate to, and 60% say they feel a feeling of community on Tiktok.

See Also

Women keep reinventing themselves by being open to new ideas and pursuing new opportunities. Moreover, it's not just for personal development; it's also for their careers and businesses. Then, by leveraging the community's diversity, they open new doors to new brands.

@kelleygreen_ Mindset Shift ✨💵💰 #bookedandbusy #atpeace #mindsetshift #mindsetcoach #abundance #womanentrepreneur ♬ original sound - Kelley Green

After all, Tiktok is a powerful tool for promoting items and connecting, engaging and interacting with their female target audience.

@youngforeverbycj Never giving up ! #growthmindset #womanentrepreneur #algoritmotiktok #dreambig🙏🙏 #blassedday #begrateful ♬ I Write Watermelons Not Sugar by DJ Cummerbund - DJ Cummerbund

We salute all the confident, empowered and strong women out there. This is your chance to make use of this platform to continuously inspire women while thriving on your own. Slay, Queens!

BABAE KA, hindi ka babae lang.

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Leanne Lorejo

"Leanne or LJ -- as what her friends would like to call her-- is a walking enigma. She loves reading books more than going out, but would if her family drags her out. The limelight was never her spot, and if you look hard enough, you'll find her in a corner enjoying her peace in the shadows of other people's light.

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TikTok Empowered Women: Beauty, Brains, and Influence

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TikTok, now a tenet for women, provided an interactive space where they uplift other women and make their voices heard. The other side of TikTok? Definitely for #womenoftiktok and #womenentrepreneurs. We celebrate women in International Women's Month/Women's History Month in March. Hence, last March 8, we commemorated International Women's Day.

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The internet is a powerful tool that allows us access to a variety of information and discourse. With technology, we can promote women’s achievements, raise awareness about women’s issues, and so much more right through our personal socials.

As simple as it sounds, whatever we say can truly make a difference due to how influential social media can be. Whether through a Twitter post or an Instagram story, simply talking about it is enough to start a conversation.

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We can use technology to share awareness. Programs to promote women and gender equality also help them speak up and tell the world how they are treated and want to be treated equally. With support, we celebrate feminism and spread positivity and safety in our community.

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Social Media has been the most common method for things to gain popularity, and now that it's Women's Month, a few hashtags and phrases have gained popularity and is now being widely used by many to promote Women's rights and stories they, as women, have experienced. A phrase that is gaining popularity now on twitter is the statement 'BABAE KA, HINDI BABAE LANG' stating that a woman is capable of doing anything without their gender being a limit to them, and simply giving birth is not the only thing they are capable to do. The more a hashtag/phrase is being used, the more it can be discovered by people, thats why many are using hashtags so it can reach the right audience.

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Social media has a big impact on people these days. It is a place where we can get a lot of information on certain topics. We can use social media to address gender equality while promoting women's and girl's rights. One way to address this is by supporting and taking part in youth/non-profit organizations that aim to support gender equality, women's rights and all the more. Giving acknowledgment to those women who has made a big impact in what our world has become today is also a way of celebrating Women's Month.

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We should use technology as a tool to help bring up women and help them feel more confident and proud of themselves. I also think we should use it to acknowledge the hardships and accomplishments of women before us who were not able to get the recognition they deserve.

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Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress and inventor who pioneered the technology that would one day form the basis for today's WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth communication systems. As a natural beauty seen widely on the big screen in films like Samson and Delilah and White Cargo, society has long ignored her inventive genius.

Lamarr was originally Hedwig Eva Kiesler, born in Vienna, Austria on November 9 th, 1914 into a well-to-do Jewish family. An only child, Lamarr received a great deal of attention from her father, a bank director and curious man, who inspired her to look at the world with open eyes. He would often take her for long walks where he would discuss the inner-workings of different machines, like the printing press or street cars. These conversations guided Lamarr's thinking and at only 5 years of age, she could be found taking apart and reassembling her music box to understand how the machine operated. Meanwhile, Lamarr's mother was a concert pianist and introduced her to the arts, placing her in both ballet and piano lessons from a young age.

Lamarr's brilliant mind was ignored, and her beauty took center stage when she was discovered by director Max Reinhardt at age 16. She studied acting with Reinhardt in Berlin and was in her first small film role by 1930, in a German film called Geld auf der Stra βe ("Money on the Street"). However, it wasn't until 1932 that Lamarr gained name recognition as an actress for her role in the controversial film, Ecstasy.

Austrian munitions dealer, Fritz Mandl, became one of Lamarr's adoring fans when he saw her in the play Sissy. Lamarr and Mandl married in 1933 but it was short-lived. She once said, "I knew very soon that I could never be an actress while I was his wife ... He was the absolute monarch in his marriage ... I was like a doll. I was like a thing, some object of art which had to be guarded-and imprisoned-having no mind, no life of its own." She was incredibly unhappy, as she was forced to play host and smile on demand amongst Mandl's friends and scandalous business partners, some of whom were associated with the Nazi party. She escaped from Mandl's grasp in 1937 by fleeing to London but took with her the knowledge gained from dinner-table conversation over wartime weaponry.

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Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress and inventor who pioneered the technology that would one day form the basis for today's WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth communication systems

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We could use technology and utilize its easy communication to spread about the different movements and advocacies to support women and genders in different fields, professions, and cultures around our country. Sharing our talents in art, writing, and public speaking is another way of using technology through Social Media to bring awareness of different gender equality issues.

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abante babae realness 💥 happy international women's day! 💪

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abante babae realness 💥 happy international women's day! 💪 https://t.co/AJ6YNwdFPJ

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abante babae realness 💥 happy international women's day! 💪 pic.twitter.com/AJ6YNwdFPJ
— nela! (@manelapaper) March 8, 2023

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abante babae realness 💥 happy international women's day! 💪 https://t.co/AJ6YNwdFPJ

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abante babae realness 💥 happy international women's day! 💪 https://t.co/AJ6YNwdFPJ

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abante babae realness 💥 happy international women's day! 💪

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As a reference point, we must spend more heavily and sustainably enhancing women and girls' digital skills and comfort with technology. This will allow people to successfully engage in the digital economy and receive access to digital goods and services like schooling, health, and online banking. As a student, how can you contribute to fostering gender equality in our society? Eliminate gender stereotypes, In the first place, avoid teaching gender preconceptions. Provide a range of toys and activities, significantly if they are generally associated with girls. Offer books and movies with characters of both genders and characters in – anti-gender stereotypes, such as nursing and female sports.

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Social Media is a powerful platform. We can easily spread a word in one press of a button. Instead of spreading toxicity, we shall post topics that should be addressed, just like Women rights and Gender equality. One way to creatively speak up about such topics is through poetry. We can compose poems and post it in different social media platforms. An example of it is the post above.

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These excellent poems, written by Year 5, were created in response to learning about the (lack of) rights of women during the Victorian era. #curiosity #creativity #craftsmanship

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These excellent poems, written by Year 5, were created in response to learning about the (lack of) rights of women during the Victorian era. #curiosity #creativity #craftsmanship https://t.co/gNE50jXVAv

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These excellent poems, written by Year 5, were created in response to learning about the (lack of) rights of women during the Victorian era. #curiosity #creativity #craftsmanship pic.twitter.com/gNE50jXVAv
— Thomas's Clapham (@thomassclapham) April 30, 2020

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These excellent poems, written by Year 5, were created in response to learning about the (lack of) rights of women during the Victorian era. #curiosity #creativity #craftsmanship https://t.co/gNE50jXVAv

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These excellent poems, written by Year 5, were created in response to learning about the (lack of) rights of women during the Victorian era. #curiosity #creativity #craftsmanship https://t.co/gNE50jXVAv

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These excellent poems, written by Year 5, were created in response to learning about the (lack of) rights of women during the Victorian era. #curiosity #creativity #craftsmanship

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Technology is considered as something that people tend to attach themselves to. It is also known to be a part of everyone's life. Knowing this fact, as we celebrate women's month, let us use our initiative to create meaningful changes through social media platforms by teaching people the importance of gender equality and promoting women's empowerment. This will allow viewers to acknowledge them for who they are as a person and what their capabilities are. Hence, gathering people to uplift women from their injustice experiences.

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Social media has made a huge impact on our society. Being a woman in centuries past and nowadays has not been smooth. Hence, with the aid of social media, we can recognize the accomplishments of women—not only those who have made a huge difference in our society, but every woman, girl, and person who strives to survive in a culture riddled with bias and stereotypes. We may also utilize social media to convey positivity toward women throughout the year, not just in March. As a woman, I've noticed these sorts of tweets and postings, and they've had an affect on my life, knowing that ako ay babae, hindi babae lang.

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'BABAE KA, HINDI BABAE LANG.' ✊🏻♀️ 

LOOK: A 21-year-old digital artist from Laguna took to social media to share her remarkable illustration in time for the celebration of #WomensMonth this March.

📸: @kureii_art | @vesgarcia_ #BeAnINQUIRER

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'BABAE KA, HINDI BABAE LANG.' ✊🏻♀️ 

LOOK: A 21-year-old digital artist from Laguna took to social media to share her remarkable illustration in time for the celebration of #WomensMonth this March.

📸: @kureii_art | @vesgarcia_ #BeAnINQUIRER https://t.co/htLNp0EeMr

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'BABAE KA, HINDI BABAE LANG.' ✊🏻♀️

LOOK: A 21-year-old digital artist from Laguna took to social media to share her remarkable illustration in time for the celebration of #WomensMonth this March.

📸: @kureii_art | @vesgarcia_ #BeAnINQUIRER pic.twitter.com/htLNp0EeMr
— Be An INQUIRER (@BeAnINQUIRER) March 8, 2023

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'BABAE KA, HINDI BABAE LANG.' ✊🏻♀️ 

LOOK: A 21-year-old digital artist from Laguna took to social media to share her remarkable illustration in time for the celebration of #WomensMonth this March.

📸: @kureii_art | @vesgarcia_ #BeAnINQUIRER https://t.co/htLNp0EeMr

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'BABAE KA, HINDI BABAE LANG.' ✊🏻♀️ 

LOOK: A 21-year-old digital artist from Laguna took to social media to share her remarkable illustration in time for the celebration of #WomensMonth this March.

📸: @kureii_art | @vesgarcia_ #BeAnINQUIRER https://t.co/htLNp0EeMr

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
'BABAE KA, HINDI BABAE LANG.' ✊🏻♀️ 

LOOK: A 21-year-old digital artist from Laguna took to social media to share her remarkable illustration in time for the celebration of #WomensMonth this March.

📸: @kureii_art | @vesgarcia_ #BeAnINQUIRER

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I honestly think that the use of Tiktok and Instagram to promote gender equality would be quick and simple ways to help gain an understanding to many individuals about it since many of us are revolved around social media, which is mostly Tiktok and Instagram, and can get easily influenced based off of what we come across.

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Gender equality can be promoted through technology by just treating everyone online nicely and fairly. We could also support women that we see on social media, and if someone has a platform, they could use that to spread awareness and further promote women's rights and gender equality. We could also try to eliminate stereotypes in our own accounts, as well as try to challenge gender norms in our posts, stories, etc.

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Media today, from traditional legacy media to online media, still hugely influence our perceptions and ideas about the role of girls and women in society. What we have unfortunately seen until now is that media tend to perpetuate gender inequality. Research shows that from a young age, children are influenced by the gendered stereotypes that media present to them.

Research has found that exposure to stereotypical gender portrayals and clear gender segregation correlates "(a) with preferences for 'gender appropriate' media content, toys, games and activities; (b) to traditional perceptions of gender roles, occupations and personality traits; as well as (c) to attitudes towards 2 expectations and aspirations for future trajectories of life" .

We are concerned that the latest Secretary General report proposing priority areas to the Commission on the Status of Women does not mention the crucial role of media in achieving gender equality. This is a huge opportunity that is lost. The data we have show that women only make up 24% of the persons heard, read about or seen in newspaper, television and radio news. Even worse: 46% of news stories reinforce gender stereotypes while only 4% of stories clearly challenge gender stereotypes.

One in five experts interviewed by media are women. Women are frequently portrayed in stereotypical and hyper-sexualised roles in advertising and the film industry, which has long-term social consequences. And 73% of the management jobs are occupied by men compared to 27% occupied by women.

We strongly believe in the transformative role media can play in achieving gender equality in societies. By creating gender-sensitive and gender-transformative content and breaking gender stereotypes. By challenging traditional social and cultural norms and attitudes regarding gender perceptions both in content and in the media houses. By showing women in leadership roles and as experts on a diversity of topics on a daily basis, not as an exception.

In many countries around the world women's opinions are dismissed and they are not taught to ask questions and be part of public debate. Without information women don't know about and can't exert their rights to education, to property, pensions, etc. and they cannot challenge existing norms and stereotypes. This makes it impossible to achieve inclusive societies as we aim to achieve through the Global Development agenda. Access to information empowers women to claim their rights and make better decisions.

The media industry needs to be encouraged to produce gender-transformative content and to develop self-regulatory equality policies, including access to decision-making positions. Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms need to be set up to assess the progress within the sector. Thereby creating gender equality in content, workplace and management.
Violence against female media workers
The safety of female media workers has in recent years developed into a serious concern, as it creates another obstacle to gender equality within the media. The majority of female media workers experience gender specific harassment both inside their organisations, outside of them, and more increasingly online.

Gender-based violence (GBV), both digital and physical, pose a threat to freedom of expression and access to information. Silencing female journalists constitutes an attack on democracy itself as it leads to self-censorship: women retreating from the public sphere because of the harassment. Almost a third of female journalists consider leaving the profession because of the threats, intimidation or attacks they endure. More than a third of female journalists avoided reporting certain stories for the same reason. Almost half of female journalists experience online abuse. Many of them indicate the abuse has led them to become less active or even inactive on social media, while it's a crucial part of the job. Threats are often of a sexual and racist nature, targeted at the person instead of the content, making the workplace an unsafe environment for women. This leaves the male-dominated field of media with even fewer female voices.

We believe that the media sector has the responsibility to provide a safe working environment for all staff and to develop policies that prevent GBV. It is imperative media organisations have mechanisms in place that ensure necessary support for those who have experienced GBV at the workplace, while performing their work outside and/or via digital means.
Our recommendations to the Commission on the Status of Women:

To recognize the crucial role of media in achieving gender equality in all domains by creating gender-sensitive and gender-transformative content and breaking gender stereotypes.

Media should lead the way towards gender equality through gender-sensitive and gender- transformative content. For this we need coherent policies, rules, and mechanisms on all levels, starting with national media policies and media industry self-regulation.

Safety of female media workers needs to be a key priority for Member States and the media industry. A culture of safety needs to be created and effective mechanisms for complaints and redress need to be put in place.

Submitted by:

International Media Support,
Free Press Unlimited,
The Carter Center,
Fondation Hirondelle,
Global Alliance on Media and Gender,
International Women's Media Foundation,
Media Diversity Institute,
RNW Media,
World Association for Christian Communication and WAN-IFRA

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The crucial role of media in achieving gender equality | IMS

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Media today, from traditional legacy media to online media, still hugely influence our perceptions and ideas about the role of girls and women in society. What we have unfortunately seen until now is that media tend to perpetuate gender inequality.

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Social Media can influence a lot in our society nowadays but the effect depends on how you use it. There are many women who use social media as a way to express themselves and earn money. Some post videos about women empowerment and others use songs as a better way to inspire others. We can promote female rights and gender equality by using youtube as a platform. We can post videos about our selves or things and hobbies that we like showing how independent and strong females are. We can also talk about gender equality and females rights in some parts.

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Social media plays a huge role in our society right now. A simple post can change a persons perspective on things.  We can use social media platforms to promote women's and girl's rights including gender equality.  We should women rights movements to support other women. We could also educate other people who don't know much about this topic and so that people won't say offsensive things online or to other people.

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Especially after the pandemic has forced us to stay inside, social media has become even more prevalent in society than ever before. Every day, apps such as Twitter and TikTok influence the minds of people. These platforms are a great way to educate those who wish to learn more about women's history and how far we have come in society, as well as stand in solidarity with other women and help us achieve equality for everyone.

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"Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they've got ambition, and they've got talent, as well as just beauty. I'm so sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for." -Louisa May Alcott's, Little Women.

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We can use technology to further promote the countless achievements that women have done for the society. Reminding people that many of the things we currently use are made by women in their respective fields.

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Women Empowerment Art Print Woman Art Print Women of Color - Etsy

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We can use technology's design/drawing applications to make posters and illustrations promoting and speaking up about these topics of women's rights and gender equality. We can share these in various social media platforms in order to spread support and awareness to everyone.

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If you defend human rights, you defend women's' rights.

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Social media is a very powerful platform. It is used to spread news and information around the world. Most of the time people spread fake news that is why it is best to avoid it and to check if the sources are true or not. Recently other people uses social media to spread more information on gender inequality and women’s rights others are against it and still compares the strength of men compared to women, but not everyone feels the same way. They defend the right of all genders and try to fight for our freedom to speak. As students we can post digital posters online.

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If you defend human rights, you defend women’s’ rights.

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Across the globe, many women and girls still face discrimination because of their sex and gender.

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We can use social media to spread awareness of and protest gender inequality. Something I have noticed from my limited experience in social media, some people, including (maybe especially) women for this example, use platforms such as online blogs and video platforms like YouTube to spread awareness about different advocacys. In the same way, people who support women's rights movements can post information online to disseminate information and gain support for our cause.

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As more and more social media accounts are being created each day, we should take this as an opportunity to spread awareness on the rights of women and encourage others into practicing gender equality. This can be done simply by making or sharing posts about the topic so that more people may be educated and realize the significance of promoting women's rights and said advocacy. Not only this but sharing original posts of other advocates may help the post's algorithm so that the it may have the potential to reach a bigger audience.

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We can use technology as another way of promoting women's rights and gender equality, especially through social media. These days, gadgets and phones are one of the most important things in our lives as they keep us connected with the world and our loved ones. So by promoting the cause online, even something as simple as reposting awareness posts or actually educating others through the web can make a huge difference.