gisw13_chapters

to the organisation. For example, Musawa used itspresence on social networks to organise dialogueevents around key events, such as discussing women’srights in the new constitution. In such events,members send offline questions to be answered bya panel of experts, and a live session is held to enableonline discussions. At the same time, Musawatransfers its reach in the cyber world to its eventsin the real world by announcing events it is organising,and inviting visitors or members to attendthese events.Having a well-organised and frequently updatedpresence in cyberspace preserves the valuable contentproduced through the organisation’s activities,such as documented incidents, studies, reports anddiscussions, and makes it available and accessibleto a wide audience over time. This can significantlyincrease the organisation’s visibility both locallyand at the international level, which may lead toopportunities for partnerships with similar organisationsor attract contributions and support fromprominent figures in the field.An argument could be made that the use of socialnetworks in general, and Facebook in particular,can in itself be a barrier for free participation. Thisargument is based on the premise that the use ofsuch technologies usually requires users to revealtheir actual identity, which might be problematic insituations where sensitive subjects and issues arebeing discussed. Many victims of domestic violenceor sexual assault may need support from a communitythat understands their pains, and may also wantto talk about their experiences and seek advice fromothers. However, the dilemma here is that if the onlychannel for communication requires these victimsto reveal their true identity, they will most likelysurrender in fear. Even topics as simple as women’sright to grant citizenship to their children could beperceived as being culturally sensitive, and are anarena for the brave and fearless only. This phenomenoncan be mitigated to a certain degree by usingpseudonyms when participating (despite the factthat this violates Facebook’s terms and conditions).ConclusionsThe story of Musawa can be reflected upon throughthe lens of the Association for Progressive Communications’(APC) Gender Evaluation Methodology(GEM) 12 from two perspectives. Firstly, the initiativeitself can be studied to evaluate the extent towhich it has succeeded in achieving its objectives,and incorporate learning from this evaluation intothe initiative. Secondly, the different platforms12 www.apcwomen.org/gemand activities of the initiative (including its website,presence on social networks, and face-to-faceevents and activities) can be leveraged as effectiveand useful methods to develop better understandingof gender-related issues in Syria, formulatequestions to evaluate changes (either positive ornegative) relating to these issues, and collect datato inform gender-evaluation indicators.Musawa can greatly benefit from a structuredand systematic evaluation approach based onGEM to assess its progress towards achieving itsgoals and objectives. The organisation’s main objectivescan be summarised as raising awarenessabout women’s issues in Syria, mobilising change,and influencing policies. The content publishedon Musawa’s online outlets, and the interactionsgenerated around this content, clearly indicate apositive impact on awareness raising and networkbuilding. The organisation seems to have alsoachieved significant network building and collaborationwith other women’s organisations andentities that share similar visions. This is evidentin the joint activities publicised by Musawa that itorganises with other partners. Such a collaborativeand cooperative approach would certainly lead towider reach and stronger networks that Musawacan mobilise to effect change and improve genderequality.The issue of access is a very important questionthat needs to be addressed. Many civil societyorganisations that restrict their activities to cyberspacerisk leaving behind an important portion oftheir target audience. Not all women have accessto the technology required to use the internet, orpossess the skills necessary to use these technologieseffectively. This may well be the mostvulnerable target audience, and the one thatneeds the greatest attention. Musawa addressesthis matter by adopting a hybrid online/offline approachto its activities and engagement. By doingso, Musawa is expanding its network even further,addressing the issues of access and connectivity,and widening the spectrum of its discourse anddialogue. Moreover, the organisation is bridgingthe offline and online worlds by documenting andarchiving the proceedings of events and activitiesfor future reference.From another perspective, Musawa’s onlineplatforms can be leveraged as effective and usefulmethods to gauge emerging gender-related issuesin Syria, and to facilitate the collection of data forthe development of meaningful gender indicators.While not strictly structured, Musawa conductedseveral polls and open consultations around importantchallenges facing women in Syria, including220 / Global Information Society Watch