How Digital Spaces Aid Women in Finding Resources and Solidarity in the Age of Technology

Women have been blatantly rendered more vulnerable to various forms of abuse in the modern era of unlimited internet access, including cybercrime, digital threats, privacy violation, and more. However, with this rise in online violence, there has also been a rise in the number of digital tools available to women to combat it.

Women now have better access to information online and are more mindful of their surroundings. Women now have access to a virtual realm that provides them with opportunities for self-assertion thanks to feminist digital platforms, online educational resources, instructional blogs and videos, safety apps, and other tools.

Additionally, these online environments give women the security of anonymity. For people with oppressed identities, a virtual place that is anonymously accessible can provide a level of safety that most offline or physical mediums can't. Let's take a look at a few technological advancements that have benefited women and enabled them to virtually create a sisterhood network.

Workshops and digital platforms for women

In recent years, digital channels have likely provided the most access to education and awareness for women. Digital platforms are aiming to be more inclusive than ever before in light of the changing political conscience. It is now essential, not simply an option, to guarantee women's safety, inclusivity, and a voice at all intersections. During the two years of Covid lockdowns, organisations that have heavily transitioned their content from analogue to online media have probably done this the most.

Every person now has a place online to share their ideas, worries, and joys anonymously or by using their real names. This is because of feminist digital platforms. Women are now better able to express their experiences through writing or other artistic mediums and share them with other women around the world thanks to digital platforms.

Women's workshops and educational initiatives have always been important tools for keeping them educated and aware. However, accommodations and accessibility are the two issues that have always plagued these offline programmes.

Significant programmes have moved significantly away from being held in real places and toward being held online with the emergence of various internet technologies for group conversations and meetings. Reaching out to a bigger segment of the population in terms of numbers and access is hampered by physical spaces. A clear explanation for this is that offline programmes call for a target audience to travel long distances, which is frequently impossible for women, particularly housewives, working women, mothers, and women from families who do not have the privilege of sending their daughters to programmes that are held far from their homes.

In addition, many women are uneasy coming up because they worry about what might happen if they are discovered. This is particularly problematic for victims of assault who might like to remain anonymous while yet being open to attending workshops, discussions, and other events.

The situation has considerably changed as a result of online media, with women increasingly taking part in workshops all around the nation. Education and information are now easily accessible. To participate in a workshop or skill-building programme, women do not need to leave their comfort zones or endure long-distance travel.

For all women, online learning has shown to be far more flexible and convenient. This has been made feasible by a number of well-known communication technology platforms, including Google Meet, Zoom calls, Teams, and others.

Social media channels

Social media may be viewed by many as a venue for solely frivolous activities, harmful content, and online violence. Social media, on the other hand, is a very subjective medium that caters to individuals in various ways. Social media, despite its drawbacks, is a crucial illustration of how technology has strengthened female solidarity.

Women have discovered a shared place where voices seem familiar and safer, ranging from callout messages to survival stories. One of the main channels for fostering a sense of sisterhood among women in younger generations is social media. Women and gender minorities feel informed and supported by Whatsapp groups, Instagram posts about women's issues, Facebook groups, and Twitter threads. Several other well-known social media sites are geared toward women in particular and have provided them with a welcoming environment in which to be candid.

In addition to these, numerous platforms also provide educational blogs and videos that aid women in learning a variety of tasks and abilities. These sites help people rediscover long-lost passions and gain new skills. Other women are also motivated to create their own content by the content on these networks. This is the reason why so many women now have their own Youtube channels, where they openly display their talents and serve as role models for many others.

Social media also enables women to interact with other women globally or simply relate to them via common experiences. It has unquestionably been a significant factor in helping women rediscover their sense of their lost selves via expression and connection.

Internet job listings

Through online workspaces, more women have recently been able to achieve financial independence. There are now more jobs available for women thanks to specific job postings on numerous online portals. Housewives or moms who have taken extended absences from the workforce now have access to special possibilities to re-enter the workforce. Many websites provide part-time and full-time occupations that people can undertake from home.

Many women who previously lacked the time and energy to attend physical workspaces have benefited greatly from the lockdown. Only thoughtful technology improvements that have made work more accessible to women have made this possible. Numerous websites and digital platforms constantly add fresh content, making it easier for many women to access online resources than offline ones.

Safety apps

The launch of safety apps is last but not least. Through the use of safety applications, technology has made it possible to constantly monitor the physical and mental safety of women. These safety apps have repeatedly allowed women to contact friends, neighbours, family members, and even the police in cases of possible danger or assault.

Popular safety apps used by Indian women include Safetipin, Raksha, Himaat, and many others. These apps are made to be simple to use by women of all ages. One can, for instance, send an SOS text or call to the specified recipients by just shaking their cellphone or pressing the power button four times with the Shake2Safety app.

Women are learning more about these applications and other digital platforms as a result of technological improvements and accessibility. These safety apps have been a great benefit to older women, women who live alone, young women travelling for college, and working women who work late shifts.

Thus, as a result of technology advancements, women now have access to a wide range of venues and opportunities online. They have helped women affirm their freedom of expression and right to the workforce, which they frequently find difficult to accomplish. This is a really great feature of technology and shows how it can be utilised to empower those with disadvantaged identities.

However, it must not be overlooked that having internet access is necessary in order to take use of these virtual prospects. How many women and members of underrepresented groups actually have access to such technology is still an open subject. To ensure that intersectional gaps are filled and that technology and the internet are more widely available, interventions must be done in this context.