Harnessing Social Media for Social Change - From Success, to Failure, and Back Again

Abstract for a Comm Talk from the 2022 International SBCC Summit in Morocco: 

"The root cause of violence against women and girls (VAWG) is gender inequality. Whilst it is compounded by other systems of discrimination and disadvantage, like transphobia, ableism, racism and colonisation, gender inequality creates the conditions in which violence occurs, is tolerated, justified and condoned.Evidence suggests prevention strategies related to social behaviour change are the most effective strategies. These prevention strategies should target, and aim to dismantle, social norms which condone violence against women; place men in control of decision-making; limit women's independence; strengthen cultures of masculinity that emphasise aggression, dominance and control; and dictate rigid gender stereotypes (Our Watch 2021). Social media is a powerful tool for change and can be used as a prevention strategy on a global scale. Many experts claim that there's a formula to social media - and there is. But the truth is these formulas might be successful one minute but fall short the next. Social media is an ever-changing landscape with constantly evolving algorithms, priorities, and fixations. We know first-hand that even when you build a strong community, work hard on content creation, and find real success and impact - it doesn't necessarily last. We thought we had everything figured out, until the landscape changed dramatically. The lesson is this: there is no one formula that works and as social media changes, you must adapt and change with it, or be left behind. We take a design-centred approach to content creation, and a creative, storytelling approach to this presentation."