CMCs and subaltern gendered selves
December 2007, Lopa Ghosh, I4donline
The article provides a window into the use of community media as a tool for engineering transformation in lives of women, particularly from those sections of society where their independence is significantly curtailed due to narrow social and religious practices. It reports on a recent study of the effect of the use of Internet among the women of a predominantly low-income Muslim community in East Delhi. It shows that the Internet has opened a new world to these women who were traditionally closeted behind thick veils of seclusion in the name of religion. New communication mechanisms such as chat have broken the boundaries of location, and information about stirrings in the world now reach them easily. In conclusion, the Internet is a powerful tool for empowering women who are currently living in extremely restrictive environments and can prove to be a differentiating factor in their lives.