Breaking the Silence: Online Women Driving Change in the World’s Most Challenging Places
Increasing access to new media technologies is enabling women from some of the remote regions of the world to make international headlines, organize across borders, and obtain vital development information. Portland-based World Pulse is harnessing the power of digital media to connect and empower a network of over 40,000 women from more than 190 countries, many who are speaking out using Internet cafes and cell phones. In addition, World Pulse is equipping grassroots women leaders with training to become empowered citizen journalists and web-savvy change agents for their communities.
Hear directly from three astounding World Pulse citizen journalists who have traveled from impoverished rural villages and conflict zones around the world to share how they are using online technology to drive change.
Jensine Larsen, founder, World Pulse
Jensine (Yen-See Nah) Larsen, an award-winning social media entrepreneur and international journalist is the founder of World Pulse, an action media network powered by women from 190 countries. Jensine has pioneered World Pulse magazine, grassroots women’s citizen journalism training, and an interactive website that enables women on the ground to speak for themselves and connect to solve global problems.
Hummingbird, Syria
As her country spirals into deepening violence and family members disappear, Hummingbird has broken through fear to find her voice. A member of Syria’s Kurdish minority, she is calling for an end to the horrors of a war where children are massacred in the streets by government forces. Hummingbird’s dream is to use digital media to transform Syria by unleashing women’s concealed aspirations and wisdom and to awaken the world to alternate paths to the nightmare that continues to unfold across her country.
Neema Namadamu, Demcratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Afflicted by polio since the age of two, Neema grew up in the Eastern DRC, a region ravaged by an epidemic of sexual violence and war.
Today, she is an outspoken, tech-savvy leader mobilizing and empowering scores of women, including those with disabilities, to change the future of her nation. A determined visionary, Neema also is pushing to establish a national telecommunication network to better connect rural Congolese people to the world.
Stella Paul, India
Growing up in impoverished northeast India, Stella barely survived as an unwanted girl child. Now, braving kidnappings and other life-threatening risks, she is sharing the stories of marginalized women to a world audience and training women to find their voices and tell their own stories. For Stella, community-based media, and citizen and mobile phone journalism are transformational keys to ending women’s inequality.