The “Internet Effect”

How the internet breaks down barriers for women in Bangladesh
The role of women in Bangladesh has evolved. While women are still struggling for equality and a more open society, it also seems that the scope to empower oneself with the knowledge to make better choices is greater than ever before.
I believe the internet is a key driver of this change. The web has made information from all parts of the world, from all kinds of people, available to anyone who has access to an internet connection. Importantly also, through social media, women from all walks of life are getting together, creating the opportunity for communities to form and experiences and ideas to be shared. The benefit such interactions bring to society and women in particular is huge. What is more exciting is that we have only just scratched the surface. Many of us are aware of how internet penetration is growing rapidly in Bangladesh and some of the initiatives in place that promote a digital economy but there is very little being discussed about the impact of these trends on women, and importantly, how women can harness these technologies to heighten their influence and impact on society.
Internet usage among females is accelerating
There are an estimated 8,000,000 internet users in Bangladesh with approximately 1,500,000 females online (G&R Ad Network, 2012). The number of women going online is growing rapidly, having doubled in 2011 (NMS, 2011) and the story is similar when looking at access to Facebook. In November 2012, there were a total of 3,300,000 Facebook users, with the social network adding a new user in Bangladesh every 20 seconds. 25 per cent of these are women (We Are Social, Nov 2012).
Women really do rule the web
In a global context, it is women who are the real power users of the internet. Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and one of my personal heroes, has talked about how women are not only the majority of its users, but actually drive 62 per cent of activity in terms of messages, updates and comments, and 71 per cent of the daily fan activity. Women even have 8 per cent more Facebook friends on average than men, and spend even more time on the site. Video games are still considered a male-dominated world, but the world's largest social gaming company, Zynga, says 60 per cent of players are female.  Even Twitter is said to have more women “tweeters” (Techcrunch, Mar 2011). Women are influential in the digital economy also -- globally they account for the majority of online purchases and actively go to the web when researching offline products and services (thenextweb, 2012)
How different are these scenarios in Bangladesh? From my experiences working on maya.com.bd, I've seen that those women who are online are indeed highly active -- from our online Question and Answer tool, Maya Apa, alone, the rising rate at which females are seeking out and sharing information and advice on health and societal issues is intriguing and notable. It's clear that as women we feel more comfortable expressing ourselves online as opposed to the 'real world'. I also did a quick study of my Facebook news feed by tracking posts from my friends. Over a period of one week, I found my female friends actually posted 200 per cent more often than my male friends!
The internet has given all women a voice... and made us more confident
It's often overlooked how the internet is empowering women and in my opinion this is leading to a really important development in Bangladesh. The “free” space created by the web for women to express feelings, opinions, emotions and so on, is resulting in a newfound confidence that is really meaningful for women in this country. The ability to be able to openly share one's views and the reassurance that there are other women who share those views or are willing to respond and build the discussion is refreshing.
Even in the Shahbagh protests, the role of women leveraging social media cannot be ignored. US-based Bangladeshi writer, Anushe Hossain, recently wrote about the “Female Factor” in an excellent piece for Forbes Magazine. She elaborates on how female students, wives, working professionals, activists, and mothers with their children all give Shahbagh a unique voice and, given the context of our history, how important their contributions are. A lot of this would not have been possible had online social networks not been present (Forbes, Feb 2013).
So where next for women? The role for women in shaping the future of Bangladesh will become even more accepted and if recent advancements are an indicator, the internet will lead to fewer barriers to voices being heard. This rising female influence will lead to a more rounded, equitable society and the internet will continue to be a big enabler in this taking place.

By Ivy H. Russell, Founder, Maya.com.bd
Design Credit: Atif Ahmed Akkhor, Tirana Khan, Debasish Howladar.