Creating A Global Women's Conversation

The most exciting aspect of the Web 2.0 is its capacity to engage a global community of diverse women in a conversation about the world, our realities and the work we each do to contribute to the betterment of all humanity. The Web 2.0 is a critical information resource and a key networking and communication tool that connects women living in rural and remote communities and those living in urban isolation with each other and with the broader women’s empowerment movement. It also creates a venue for inter-generational dialogue and the mutual transfer of knowledge that considers both traditional and contemporary understandings of the world. This interactive discussion has the potential to generate a paradigm shift that will change the face of the women’s movement and will contribute significantly to the resolution of long-standing societal challenges we face at a global and local level.

The Web 2.0 functions as a central storage vat and information dissemination point for the reflections, expressions, opinions and decisions of women on a grand scale. The pool of information and the inter-cultural relationships developed through shared space that is easily accessible to women around the world makes every voice count in the global discussion about issues that are important to us. The Web 2.0 eradicates barriers that perpetuate the silence of women, equalizes access to resources and opens doors to decision-making forums at every level of society. It also eliminates the current propensity of mainstream agencies and women’s organizations to control the agenda of the movement by recasting the experiences and needs of marginalized women through a biased lens that is oftentimes self-serving. It shifts the locus of power from a centralized, self-perpetuating base to an individualized foundation which in turn leads to a greater sense of purpose and equality around societal participation.

From a personal perspective, the Web 2.0 has reinvigorated my sense of mission. It allows me unfettered opportunities to share my experiences and to explore the commonalities I have with the global women’s community. I am eager to learn about the experiences of other women and to explore aspects of our lives that make us unique. I am ready to be a support and to join in actions that will make a difference in the lives of my global sisters and in humanity.