Women's Ways to Voice Online: Israeli Activists' Transition to Voice on Digital Platforms

The emergence of new and open platforms in new media raises the question of whether digital literacy can empower women to overcome the silencing hegemonic mechanisms prevalent in Israeli society and strengthen their voices in public discourse. This qualitative action research examines the processes of Israeli women's transition to online activism through two rounds of interviews before and after an extended workshop on digital literacy, centered on Wikipedia, Twitter, Facebook, and blogging as venues of voice. Based on the findings, this study suggests a five-phase model for the formation of a public voice among women in digital environments: Digital Silence, Passive Digital Voice, Personal Digital Voice, Public Digital Voice, and Integrative Digital Voice. The findings indicate that the transition from silence to voice online is not linear as described in previous research, nor binary, but rather circular; having a voice and open online platforms does not guarantee the formulation of an online public voice. In the digital era, unsilencing among women activists is an ongoing endeavor characterizing their lives in a manner that enhances their sense of transitivity.