Week 2

I searched gender equality on Twitter and several hashtags came up regarding the issue. #genderequality was the most common hashtag. The hashtag was generally used in tweets supporting women’s rights. It was also used in tweets that had links to articles and inspirational stories to empower women. The hashtag is used by a wide range of twitter accounts, from non-profits, to magazines, to individuals.  

Another hashtag that is frequently used and supports gender equality is #girlsed. This hashtag is relevant to my field because focuses specifically on education and girls. Tweets using this hashtag provide data and statistics about girls’ education, as well as strategies for reaching gender equality through education. Some examples include high school and college graduation rates and girls in STEM. 

A hashtag that also supports gender equality by pointing out current inequalities is #notthereyet. The hashtag is used in a variety of tweets, but one current is focused on gender equality (or inequality). These tweets focus on gender biases, the glass ceiling, and women’s rights. Even though society has been taking big steps forward toward gender equality, #notthereyet highlights the fact that we still have a long way to go.  

Similar to #notthereyet, #noceilings is used different ways, but regarding supporting gender equality, tweets include articles about women in leadership, breaking the glass ceiling, and data about girls’ educational paths. This hashtag highlights women who have broken the glass ceiling, unlike #notthereyet which highlights unfair limitations. Tweets using #noceilings can be very motivational and encourage women and girls to pursue their dreams.  

#feminismisawful is not as horrible as it sounds because it is usually used sarcastically. Most tweets using this hashtag point out how important the feminist movement is, ending it with the sarcastic hashtag. Tweets include anything from stories about women in leadership and STEM to articles about gender inequality. However, there are a few tweets unsupportive of gender equality using the hashtag by angry people who likely do not fully understand feminism.

Overall, I was very happy to read all the tweets in full support of gender equality. I can learn a lot about gender equality just by searching any of the previously mentioned hashtags on twitter and browsing through the numerous articles and videos shared.