From the Seneca Falls Convention in the year 1848 to the present day, feminism has changed in many ways and medium being one of them. Social media today have become one of the predominant platforms for feminist voices. While some may dismiss it as extremely informal and a circus of jumbled polyphonic voices without a clear motive, it definitely has impacted the world and its tenets.
The debate regarding how useful it has been in terms of implementation is a different one altogether but one cannot deny it has raised a heightened awareness among people of all sexes. Sites like Her Circle, often considered as the best social media platform for women, have made great efforts in the field and have spread significant awareness.
Bringing Together a Community
Social media platforms like Her Circle have brought together women from all over the country to unite under a single banner. Here, women interact with each other and share their own stories. Prior to social media, no one could imagine pooling together women of all countries, ethnicity, caste and rank altogether.
Easy Access
While feminist literature is not new, it is also accessible to only a handful of women. In countries where women’s education is still not mandatory and they are treated as second-class citizens, one cannot imagine Simon De Beauvoir or Virginia Woolf reaching out to them. With social media platforms and a widespread internet connection, even the least privileged women have a chance to raise their voices or at least be inspired by the stories of others.
It has also helped women form communities like we witness in Her Circle and support themselves.
Empathy
As social media platforms continue to propagate women’s stories, the community garners respect and empathy from people around the world. What was taken for granted and shrugged off casually, soon began to be examined with more sincerity and insight. This has given women more power and courage to face their conditions and tough battles.
Awareness
Issues like menstruation, abortion and premarital sex are still taboo for many regions of the world. This has led to false notions creeping conveniently in the social structure which in turn results in shaping the woman and her psyche as it fits the patriarchal ideology.
With awareness spread on such crucial matters, women today are becoming more knowledgeable of their condition and body. In their minds, they are opening up to a new view that incorporates discourse from both the world. Today, one can simply visit Her Circle and seek support from the community.
Critiquing the Male Gaze
Feminist criticism has successfully deconstructed the male gaze in art but on a large scale, the gaze still continues to diminish women as nothing but the Object. Several platforms have raised concerns about this and women report their stories of sexual abuse and harassment by calling out their abusers. And since the internet is omnipresent, no one can escape from its clutches.
The MeToo movement, which soon became a social media phenomenon has helped thousands of women all over the world expose men who have taken advantage of them. The reasons why so many repressed voices had to hold back could be diverse but the important thing is social media empowered them to share their stories. That being said, such movements have also effectively ruined the lives of some innocent men who may have cleared off their names legally but socially will always be frowned upon. One must not become blind but extend support only to the genuinely aggrieved party.
Social media has not only impacted feminism but can be said to be the primary chariot of feminism of your age. It has impacted women to come together and find consolation and strength in each other. Some women even run their own businesses, thanks to social media.
