feminist perspective

• Statistics about gender and digital communication

  Women use social media more than men - 70% of Pinterest and Instagram are women. Only 13% of Wikipedia contributions are by women. Only 17 of Britain's top 100 influential Twitter users in 2013. LinkedIn has considerably more male users than female.
• Feminist perspective 


  Research focuses on the exclusion of women from history and use of technology. Feminists challenge the male-dominated nature of digital media emphasising the role of women, feminists and cyber-feminists in developing digital communication. Feminists challenge and overturn ideas such as the suggestion that men are innovators of the internet and digital communication.
• Haraway (Feminist perspective)


  Women should be included in all forms of knowledge relating to technologically based information. Feminists mustn't be excluded from the technological advances that were taking place & instead be part of & inform them, women cannot be essentialised. What is considered to be female is highly politicised & socially constructed.
• Haraway (Feminist perspective - cyborg theory)


  Cyborgs might allow people to transcend/rise above gender bound ideas of what it means to be a person. Technological advances offer the possibility for women to create new forms of identity not bound by traditional idea/dominant patriarchal discourses about gender. Cyborg metaphor: problems with feminism & capitalism might be overcome through greater understanding of identity.
• Nakamura (Feminist perspective)


  Women from a range of ethnic minorities are gaining an increasing presence in digital communication & this enable their particular interest.
• Globalisation and the exploitation of women


  Globalisation gives new opportunities for criminals to exploit already vulnerable women and children who were already at increased risk of exploitation, are now at further risk of becoming commodities to be bought, sold and comsumed.
• Globalisation and the exploitation of women


  Women and children throughout history have been in a vulnerable positions due to the fact that those who hold the power in terms of government, haven't made passing legislation to protect women and children a priority. Most feminists argue this is because men largely control governments and legal systems worldwide.
• Globalisation and the exploitation of women


  The internet has made it easier for such activities to be organised in an unregulated digital world. The global sexual exploitation of women and children that is accompanying globalisation is a human rights disaster. As national boundaries have become less significant, the illegal movement of people has become much easier to coordinate and as a results, people trafficking has risen.
• Arlaccki (Globalisation and the exploitation of women)


  Led the UN's efforts to fight organised crimeExploitation has been one of the most undesirable consequences of globalisationThere are increasing concerns about the exploitation of children through various forms of digital communication
• The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre

  18,887 reports relating to sexual exploitation 2,866 intelligence reports were sent to the UK and overseas law enforcement agencies relating to individuals suspected of being involved in child sexual abuse.
• Negative impacts of exploitation of women

  Physical, sexual, emotional abuse with both short and long term implications. The ability to share the eroticising of men's violence towards women. Sexual violent imagery becomes see as less serious as it is prevalent.
• Globalisation and the exploitation of women

  Men are included in this exploitation, however online forms of abuse reflect the rates and societal patterns already existing where overwhelmingly violence at the hands of men. New forms of digital communication allow for the production of patriarchy and offers new ways in which women, children and others can be exploited. Despite attempts to punish these behaviours much exploitation goes undetected and un-policed.
• Ways in which digital forms of communication can offer new ways in which patriarchal ideology can exert further control over women, types of sexual exploitation on the internet

  Bride trafficking Sex tourism Live sex shows through videoconferencing Because there is little regulation of the internet, the traffickers and promoters of sexual exploitation have rapidly utilised the internet for their purpose.
• Response to feminism 


  Practical responses to the perceived and real lack of women in digital communication, eg. through the work of FemTechNet, a network of scholars, artists and students who work on technology, science and feminism in a variety of fields. Feminist academics wrote blogs about the structures in place that have kept women from engaging in digital humanities.
• Fourth wave feminism 


  Emerged 2000-2010 defined by importance placed on the technology as a method for communicating and sharing ideas and plans had a significant effect on many women who had previously been unheard.
• Fourth wave feminism 


  Women in may parts of the world aren't allowed to be educated or to express their views making their thoughts part of a muted group, new forms of digital global communication are being used as tools allowing women to build strong, popular, reactive online movement.
• Fourth wave feminism 


  The fact that globalisation leads to the proliferation of a variety of different gendered identities means digital communication can reduce the problem of women being essentialised.