In recent years, awareness has grown about the place of women in the digital world. While social media has created spaces for women to find each other and unite against harassment and gender-based violence, it is also a contested site, with women often the victim of trolling and bullying.
The special issue aims to cover these and related subjects.
Possible topics might include but are not limited to:
- Diversity online: gender differences in the use of digital media by women, differences and characteristics of online participation as well as how women are empowered or disempowered by the use of digital tools and social media;
- The role of journalists, in online and offline media outlets, who cover the situation of women
- Discrimination online: e.g. how women are treated online, particular traits associated with the treatment of women online, the role of trolling, misogyny and threats of violence;
- The lived experience of being a woman and/or Black, person of color on social media platforms;
- The role of international and national organizations, NGOs in fighting for gender inequality;
- Research on how platforms are or are not protecting women from abuse and stalking online (e.g. cyber bullying, uncivil behavior as well as more extreme cases (suicides));
- Ethics and the use of photography and images online;
- Policies that can be implemented by government, platforms and users to improve the situation of women online.
