Making the Web and the world more women-friendly

Ms Cheryl Chong, Chairperson of YWLC

1. Good evening. I am happy to join you for this discussion on social media. First I would like to acknowledge the support of BoardAgender and Twitter for supporting this annual IWD gathering of YWLC.

Power of social media

2. I believe many of you have been very active on social media platforms and are very familiar with the ins-and-outs of that space. I will therefore not pretend to be an expert. But I do hope to share some of my observations on the use of social media. In particular, I hope as part of our discussion this evening, we will all actively think about how we can make the social media space a kinder and more constructive place for all. And I am totally in line with what Twitter is doing for this programme that they have rolled out.

3. The pervasive nature of social media in today's society provides us with opportunities to engage a much larger audience. Many of us see the good in being able to cast the net out wide, be it for social causes or for business. With friends and other followers, we often want to share a dose of optimism and fun, such as through a #MotivationalMonday or #ThrowbackThursday post, or our breakfast, lunch or dinner on Twitter. We see groups using social media platforms to bring people together with common interests, such as running or cycling. For the businesswomen, it's an opportunity to expand your market, or innovate with a new service or business model. We have all seen and experienced the power of disruptive technologies in the online universe. Zalora, AirBnB, Trip Advisor just to name a few. I am sure they are used by you very, very often and it totally disrupts the traditional business models.However, far too often too, we also see people who choose to exploit the Web's ability to reach out to many. They indulge in activities that make cyberspace a frightful place for many. Cyberbullying, flaming, hate speech, cyber-stalking, and other anti-social behaviours can cause great stress, fear, loss of self-esteem and sadly, even loss of lives. I note in a study by local cyber wellness research company Kingmaker Consultancy that there has been an increase in cyberbullying encounters among females aged 13 to 15 in Singapore up from 28 per cent two years ago to 32 per cent last year. Putting gender aside, we can all do more and should do more to make the World Wide Web a more positive place.
   

Making the Web women-friendly

4. Social media providers attempt to do so by creating options to block or report offensive posts as we have learnt earlier from Twitter. That's one way that the online community can collectively try to reduce negatives. For example, Twitter has put in place safeguards against abusive tweets.

5. Virtual support groups can be formed with the use of hashtags. Last year, I attended the SNOW Gala Dinner organised by the Singapore Committee for UN Women. And SNOW stands for “Say No to the Oppression of Women” and taglines such as #HeForShe which garnered 157,000 posts on Instagram and #SheForShe which garnered about 4,000 posts on Instagram. They brought together a virtual support group for women, and to champion women's rights. This is one way where social media can be used to create awareness, amplify positive messages, and rally others around a good cause.As individuals, we can do our part to make the Web safe too, especially for women and girls. As women, we understand the issues and concerns of women better. We may have also encountered more of the “dark alleys” on social media networks and can actively report these posts to the relevant platform operators. We can counter the trolls who thrive on making misery out of everyone's business by advocating positive values and social norms to make cyberspace a safe place for all. The Media Literacy Council for example, champions a better Internet through public education and provides useful tips to encourage safe and responsible behaviour in cyberspace. This includes being mindful about what we share so we do not upset others.

Making the real world women-friendly

6. Such efforts help us to entrench a position of strength for women in the online sphere. We can find more ways to make the Web women-friendly. We can find more ways to make the world women-friendly. The virtual support group can support the real-world support groups like YWLC, BoardAgender and SCWO. Whether it is in mentorship of young women, development of women leadership and in protecting vulnerable women, women can be strong supporters and advocates for one another. I would like to acknowledge the good work done by YWLC, BoardAgender and SCWO and would strongly urge you to soldier on. In your own respective ways, you are carrying the torch for women behind you. So shine your torch bright and high. And lead the way for the women that come after us. So, I very much look forward to hearing from you and learning from you on Twitter. Thank you very much.