Hashtag activism and women's rights | Reilly Willis | TEDxUniversity of Suffolk

Social media campaigns and hashtag activism have changed how people take part in news, politics and social change. Drawing on years of work as a human rights advocate for women and girls' rights, Dr Reilly Anne Dempsey Willis examines whether online campaigns lead to lasting improvements in laws and rights. The talk raises questions about how digital advocacy can be monitored, evaluated and held accountable. It is based on her PhD research on international Twitter campaigns and women's rights legislation across seven countries.

• Shift of NGO campaigning from traditional volunteering to online actions
• Difficulty of measuring the real-world impact of digital advocacy
• PhD research on Twitter campaigns and women's rights laws in seven countries
• Speaker's background in law, public health and UN women's rights work

Hashtag campaigns and social media activism have transformed how people engage with news, politics, and social change. While working as a human rights advocate for women and girls’ rights, I witnessed NGOs rapidly shift their campaigning online, replacing traditional forms of volunteering with digital actions such as sharing posts, tweeting, and signing petitions. Although online participation increased, questions remained about the real-world impact and long-term outcomes of these campaigns. The challenges of monitoring and evaluating digital advocacy raised concerns about accountability and effectiveness. This research explores what social media campaigns are truly achieving and whether they are contributing to meaningful, lasting improvements in laws and rights for women and girls. Dr Reilly Anne Dempsey Willis joined the University of Suffolk in 2019 and is now a Senior Lecturer in Law and Course Leader for undergraduate law. Her research explores the relationship between social media and law, with a particular focus on gender equality, the rights of women and girls, and reproductive rights. Before entering academia, Reilly worked extensively in women's rights advocacy within both the charity sector and the United Nations. She contributed to the landmark case Alyne da Silva Pimentel Teixeira v. Brazil, which led to the UN's first recognition of maternal mortality as a human rights violation. Her PhD examined the long-term impact of international Twitter campaigns on women's rights legislation across seven countries and was published as Hashtag Activism and Women's Rights. Reilly also holds a Juris Doctor from New York University and a Master of Public Health from Columbia University. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx