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The Internet is a powerful tool for uniting, educating, and empowering women. The second wave never had this resource, but the third wave is grabbing it hungrily. Over 40% of Internet users are women, and more and more women work with computers daily for their jobs.
Sometimes we hear horror stories of women being raped by men they met over the Net, or of women getting harrassed because of their feminine usernames. This does happen, and we strongly advise women to be cautious about letting information about themselves leak out over cyberspace. But at the same time, these doomsday tales annoy us. They encourage us to fear the Big Bad World of Computers-- conveniently leaving it for the men to enjoy. Why should we be scared away from the greatest advance in communication technology this century?
Other times, we are told by second wave feminists that the Internet just doesn't reach enough women to make a difference. They forget that not every woman (in fact a very small fraction) were able to attend the consciousness-raising groups of the 60s and 70s as well.
Don't back off. Use the Internet; don't get used by it. The men may not want us here, but darned if that's going to stop us!
09/28/07 at 0:16