Deleted user
Lawyer
posted 2 years ago
In recent years, social media has emerged as a powerful tool for online communities to enhance awareness and mobilize some activities on various issues. Women are increasingly participating in various social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, etc. As seen in recent years, popular women's networks have led to changes in laws and norms. The emergence and explosion of social media recently, has been able to transform and affect the business environment and extend a new context in which entrepreneurial activities take place. Although, it is required more actions be done to make the voices of women in civil society more visible in decision-making processes and to support women entrepreneurs in this regard. The matter that arises is whether the new media can enlarge the business opportunity for women and makes them an appropriate environment for the revelation of entrepreneurial activities?
Social media has changed the landscape of how information is shared globally and the relationship between citizens and governments. For the first time, everyone is sharing their content and ideas with a global audience by means of transmitting the information. Some media such as Youtube, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook have enabled activists around the world to broadcast events live to a wide online audience. Social media has proven to be a powerful mechanism for drawing attention to women's issues and providing effective and efficient support to them. This increase in opportunities has strengthened awareness and women's access to important public goods and services such as health care. At the same time, women still have limited access to leadership positions, and many still face difficulties due to their advancement in the workforce. Thus, social media have given women an opportunity to empower themselves.
It also has the power to reform business-making processes and help to create a new kind of entrepreneurship called “social media entrepreneurship” meaning that “Individuals or small firms that use their own or others’ resources to create value by extracting opportunities via offering a service or product consisting of innovation in product/service characteristics, processes, distribution channels or places, or different innovative usage, to media market, or any other market which media is its main channel of interaction”. Currently, the number of women in the social-commerce, especially in developing countries is significant.
Social commerce proposes a new way of doing business that does not require much infrastructure, investment or risk. Hence, it tries to support lesser privileged groups including women specifically women entrepreneurs who are considerably less present. The reason is due to financial problems, lack of family support, lack of social support network and family responsibilities which are the challenges that restrict the full utilization of women's potential and their ability to develop their business. In fact, the social media revolution has provided new opportunities for women to pursue their entrepreneurial aims with platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
Social media influences the process of the entrepreneurial business ranging from exploring ideas to starting a business. It helps identifying and validating the entrepreneurial opportunities and raises women-created small businesses in developing countries. Subsequently, entrepreneurs use social platforms as a means to support business growth through social capital. One of the most attractive features of social media entrepreneurship is “low entry barriers”. In other words, entrepreneurs do not need extensive resources because the features of social media platforms cover the lack of skills, resources, technical knowledge, marketing costs, and communication with customers and partners needed to start a business.
Definitely, the advantages of entrepreneurship on social media are less risky than other types of entrepreneurship. Social media ultimately empowers women who can now run their own businesses from home. In other words, starting a business through social media is actually an easier way to do business. With the rise of new ventures, the creative use of social media to promote everything from fashion, beauty and jewellery brands to home bakers has increased. In 2019, 163 million women became entrepreneurs and commenced businesses. It indicates that digital tools and technologies are the biggest equalizers for businesses, and as the shift to e-commerce becomes more permanent, we are committed to helping women businesses become digital and grow digitally while pursuing their entrepreneurial interests. Therefore, raising awareness of the opportunities and benefits created by social media is essential. Technological innovations also can particularly support women entrepreneurs and provide a suitable ground for their improvement.
