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Arab Social Media Report

Report / White Paper

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April 8, 2014

Arab Social Media Report

The societal and political transformations taking place across the region played an instrumental role in challenging stereotypes about Arab women as oppressed and subservient. In particular, the leading role that women have played in orchestrating and participating in social movements in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen has cemented their position as equal partners to men in transforming the political landscapes in their countries. The most obvious acknowledgement of this leadership role was the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to an Arab woman, Tawakkul Karman, a leading female Yemeni political activist. Whether Arab women’s civic and political engagement will be enhanced in the aftermath of the “Arab Spring” remains to be seen.

Although social media has been a powerful tool throughout these popular movements, whether for mobilization or disseminating information[1], Arab women’s use of social media is low compared to men in the region, as well as in comparison with the global female social media usage average (for example women make up about half of Facebook users globally, while Arab women only make up a third of users in the region).
 
The role of social media in women’s empowerment in the Arab world has been highlighted repeatedly during 2011, but hardly any research has been conducted on the subject.  As a first step in studying Arab women’s use of social media and its potential for women’s empowerment and civic engagement, the Governance and Innovation Program (GIP), in collaboration with the Gender and Public Policy Program (GPPP) at the Dubai School of Government conducted a research project aiming to address the following questions: 
  1. Explaining the "Virtual" Gender Gap: What are the factors contributing to the low level of social media use among Arab women, as compared to men’s and to the global female average?
  2. Trends in Social Media Usage: Do Arab women perceive social media as useful to their needs? What are the usage trends?
  3. Social Media as a Tool for Women’s Empowerment: Can social media potentially increase women’s civic participation in the Arab world and contribute to their political and economic empowerment?
Resource type

The societal and political transformations taking place across the region played an instrumental role in challenging stereotypes about Arab women as oppressed and subservient. In particular, the leading role that women have played in orchestrating and participating in social movements in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen has cemented their position as equal partners to men in transforming the political landscapes in their countries. The most obvious acknowledgement of this leadership role was the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to an Arab woman, Tawakkul Karman, a leading female Yemeni political activist. Whether Arab women’s civic and political engagement will be enhanced in the aftermath of the “Arab Spring” remains to be seen.

Although social media has been a powerful tool throughout these popular movements, whether for mobilization or disseminating information[1], Arab women’s use of social media is low compared to men in the region, as well as in comparison with the global female social media usage average (for example women make up about half of Facebook users globally, while Arab women only make up a third of users in the region).
 
The role of social media in women’s empowerment in the Arab world has been highlighted repeatedly during 2011, but hardly any research has been conducted on the subject.  As a first step in studying Arab women’s use of social media and its potential for women’s empowerment and civic engagement, the Governance and Innovation Program (GIP), in collaboration with the Gender and Public Policy Program (GPPP) at the Dubai School of Government conducted a research project aiming to address the following questions: 
  1. Explaining the "Virtual" Gender Gap: What are the factors contributing to the low level of social media use among Arab women, as compared to men’s and to the global female average?
  2. Trends in Social Media Usage: Do Arab women perceive social media as useful to their needs? What are the usage trends?
  3. Social Media as a Tool for Women’s Empowerment: Can social media potentially increase women’s civic participation in the Arab world and contribute to their political and economic empowerment?
Resource type