Yemeni Women in Communication Technology: Competence Defined by Social Norms

Sawt Al-Amal (Voice of Hope) – Alia Mohammed

Social media has recently gained widespread attention from various segments of society, and these sites have created an effective and active space, to the extent that they have become a means of communication and rapprochement with families and friends; this has increased the percentage of users from all segments.

In Yemen, the authority of women to use social media has two sides; a bright side that accepts it, and a dark side that considers women’s use of social media to be unconventional and a challenge to customs and traditions.

N.A.M. was able to create a special account on Facebook under an alias; out of fear that someone from her family would know that she has an account on one of the social media platforms, as a result of their firm refusal to allow the girl to have an account on these platforms; due to their view of these means as a tool for openness and moral deviation.

N.A.M. says, “I was only allowed to use WhatsApp, I repeatedly tried to convince my family to create an account on social media platforms, but my request was met with rejection, so I had to create an account under an alias.”

She added, “My family controls what I post of stories on WhatsApp, and I don’t have complete freedom in that, so I had to use the hide feature for these stories so they would not see them”.

Salma Mohammed also faces difficulty in convincing those who follow her from her family to accept the publication of her daily life on social media platforms, as she says, “There are still many differences in the content we publish on social media platforms; our society allows men to publish whatever they want, but for us women, expressing our opinions is prohibited”.

Riham Al-Dajah (human rights activist) reported, “Yemen has witnessed a significant development in the use of social media platforms in recent times, yet Yemeni women still face special challenges in using these platforms due to societal and cultural restrictions.”

She added, “Society’s view of women who use social media platforms varies depending on culture, customs, and traditions; some support it and consider it natural, while others look down on female users of social media platforms and associate their use with openness.”

She points out that some family restrictions have increased due to electronic crimes that have recently spread, such as privacy violations, and many girls are exposed to hacking and the circulation of pictures and information without their consent. In addition to the spread of extortion and electronic harassment crimes, and other controversial issues; which affects their mental health and exposes them to exploitation and threats.

In a related context, the journalist, Sahar Al-Khawlani, confirms that Yemeni women’s authority to use social media platforms is given to women in small proportions; due to customs, traditions, and societal restrictions in Yemen, which restrict women from using social media platforms.

She added, “Many female journalists and activists have emerged on social media platforms, but these contributions remain limited, and we still face many challenges and criticisms as soon as we publish our personal photos on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The criticisms were not about the content of the posts, but rather personal criticisms that are unjustified, and focus on the girl’s appearance instead of the content displayed”.

Platforms Most Used by Women

The Yemeni researcher, Seham Al-Badji, in her study that dealt with the percentage of the use of social media platforms among Yemeni women and the extent of their interaction with social issues through new media, indicated that Facebook is the most used and effective, while WhatsApp came in second place, followed by YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Telegram.

Social media platforms offer various services and provide an opportunity for interaction between people and the exchange of information, opinions, and ideas in virtual communities. The purpose of using these platforms varies from one woman to another, as social media platforms include many different topics and interests for many health, social, cultural, educational, and other fields.

Women use social media to talk about their issues, convey their voices freely, and some of them dedicate their time to learning and searching for various job opportunities, in addition to expanding their circle of acquaintances and friendship, building bridges of communication, and improving social relationships.

Umm Amr Mohammed is one of the women who spend more than five hours a day on social media platforms, and Facebook is one of the most interactive and used platforms. Regarding the purpose of using these sites, she says, “I use social media platforms to follow different news. I’m also a member of several groups that offer health and family tips. I also look at the experiences of many participants and exchange information and knowledge about various issues. In addition to the entertainment and fun.”

Al-Ajrabi (network and information technology specialist) believes that WhatsApp is one of the most widespread and used platforms among women, due to its ease of use and knowledge of the people they communicate with, as well as the ease of knowing interests, such as cooking, beauty, professions, health, and others, in addition to WhatsApp’s voice recording feature, which facilitates communication for those who cannot write.

He added, “If we talk about the most widely used and spread social media platforms among women, we will see that there are several applications that this category uses, and they are ranked as follows: WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat.”

Social Media Content Differences

Anwar Al-Hilali (digital marketer) confirmed that the content of social media platforms depends on a variety of factors, such as age, culture, social and economic status, individual usage patterns, and preferences.

He says in his speech, “Many women use social media platforms to share their experiences, information, and opinions. Women may use social media negatively, presenting inappropriate content that exposes them to a lot of criticism.”

He adds, “Habits and traditions affect the content that Yemeni women present on social media. There are social trends that control the quality of the content that is published on social media, and there may be differences in the content that is selected and the ways in which it is expressed.”

On the other hand, Sahar Al-Khawlani says, “Yemeni women face great challenges when talking about political issues, and their participation is met with rejection. They are women and have nothing to do with such matters, in addition to the fact that platforms include multiple segments of society; educated and uneducated, intellectuals and non-intellectuals; which exposes women to positive and negative comments at the same time.”

He continues to say, “The community must realize that we are in an era that heavily relies on social media, and many people spend long hours browsing these platforms, which have provided an opportunity to express opinions, share knowledge and information, and learn about news.”

He adds, “Women must have a clear presence and participation on social media platforms to express their opinions, talk about related issues, and participate in public dialogues.”

From Fatima Al-Sayaghi’s point of view (a radio presenter), “The societal view that criticizes women’s appearance and presentation of content on these platforms has put pressure on women to choose the way they present themselves to conform to societal standards, which impose a certain image that must be consistent with values and beliefs. This has led to censorship of their posts to avoid comments that may affect their mental health.”

She believes that Yemeni women have reached advanced and developed stages in using social media, and there should be no differences between what men and women present in terms of content, as long as it is balanced and beneficial to the followers.

She pointed out in her speech that Yemeni women have been able to make social media platforms a means of participating in presenting a number of educational, awareness-raising, and educational programs. In addition, these means work to empower women to participate effectively in public life. Women’s awareness and perception of what they offer on social media is what controls the community’s view of the suitability of using social media platforms. Women should take into account the time when using such platforms, in addition to choosing the most effective sites that provide useful content, with the need to put in place a number of ethical controls when publishing and sharing, in order to maintain their family and social stability.