Does Gender Equality on the blogosphere really matter?

In the latest issue of Anticipations, Jessica Asato, Acting Director of Progress, talks about the under representation of women on the blogosphere.
Reading her article, I can identify with many of the reasons and characteristics she describes to explain this lack of female presence. I was one the women who joined the blog Labourwomen enthusiastically a year ago but gave up blogging after the first attempts (although, to be fair, I blogged at least thrice). Despite better intentions, my contributions to the YF blog so far have been scarce, almost non existing- to be honest, I had to be invited to even write this piece. I am one of the women Jess mentions who claim to be simply to busy to blog on a regular basis- most of the time, I’d rather spent my free time working out in the gym or having a meal with my housemates than write a blog. So my first thought when reading Jessica’s article was: “So what?” Women have every right to be on the internet, a lot of us (like the wonderful Christine Quigley, Chair of London Young Labour) even have their own web presence. Women have the necessary technical knowledge, we all use a computer, some of us even tweet-so if so many of us choose not to participate in the virtual world of mass communication because it is simply not our cup of tea-does it really matter?

The problem is: it does, and Jessica rightly makes this point at the end of her article. Communication today can only become relevant to a wider audience if it’s online. The cornerstones of an informed society -campaigns, discussions, sharing of information- are all being developed and shaped on the web.

When women wanted the right to vote and participate in democracy, they had to take to the streets and put up an immense fight to make their voices heard. If women today want to participate in democracy 2.0, all we have to do is go online. The rise of social media seems unstoppable, and the way we communicate has already changed forever. We need to realize that our messages will only get through if we engage with this new media. So come on girls, for the sake of all women over the world- let’s hit those keyboards, more than just once.