From Subjects to Indivdiuals: Using Technology To Empower Marginalized Voices

This is a repost of a blog from Maha Hilal on September 21, 2014. Maha Hilal is a doctoral student in Justice, Law & Society at American University in Washington, D.C. Her area of research interest is in the field of human rights, with a focus on survivors of human rights abuses and the adverse consequences they face post-abuse. 

Today's Social Good Summit was ripe with many inspiring and innovative ideas.  Among those was that of using technology to empower marginalized voices such as youth (85 percent live in developing countries).  The use of technology in this way has the potential to shift the discourse away from marginalized people as subjects, but instead narrators of their own story.

For individuals in the global majority, using technology in this fashion presents an opportunity to participate in dialogues surrounding efforts and initiatives that are implemented in their societies and communities.  

Jensine Larson, Founder and CEO of WorldPulse has created a forum whereby women across the world are able to connect with one another and the global community, articulating their perspectives on appropriate solutions that their communities are facing. One way of doing this, as WorldPulse did, was to crowdsource perspectives from women around the globe on ways to address these very issues.  Through a single effort to crowdsource solutions, responses were drawn from women from over 70 countries around the world. 

Technology used in this way, has the power to disrupt hierarchical patterns of power and empower those at the local level, where only those in decision making capacities are able to design and implement programs, projects, etc., by making these marginalized voices active participants in this discussion. Not only does technology, then in this way equalize voices, but also leverages the voices of those that are directly impacted, thus leading to solutions that are appropriately based on each society or community's socio-political culture.  

An important facet of this discussion, was the focus on empowering women specifically through the use of technology. In her talk, Larson gave a powerful statement saying that “a woman with a laptop can be more powerful than a man with a gun."  Technology in this sense can also be a tool through to work towards gender equity and empowerment can be achieved with women being more active participants in the governance of their societies and the local, national and global levels.  

In a world where greater equality and inequality seem to be operating in tandem, technology provides one way of neutralizing these forces, by amplifying the voices of those less frequently heard.

How are we all researchers?

https://www.ted.com/speakers/arunachalam_muruganantham

Link to transcript: https://www.ted.com/talks/arunachalam_muruganantham_how_i_started_a_sanitary_napkin_revolution/transcript?language=en

Arunachalam Muruganantham created a system of simple machines to make modern sanitary napkins — giving millions of women in his home country and around the world access to hygiene.

How does this story demonstrate the following elements in research?

• Curiosity

• Passion

• Asking questions

• Facilitating encounters

• Process of exploration

How does this research topic demonstrate the value of research in social issues?

• Personal interest

• Social welfare needs

• Feasibility

• Practice or policy relevance implications