Militantisme par hashtag et droits des femmes | Reilly Willis | TEDxUniversity of Suffolk

Les campagnes par hashtag et le militantisme sur les réseaux sociaux ont transformé la manière dont les gens suivent l'actualité, la politique et les changements sociaux. Dr Reilly Anne Dempsey Willis, qui a travaillé comme défenseure des droits des femmes et des filles, s'interroge sur la capacité des campagnes en ligne à produire des améliorations durables des lois et des droits. L'intervention aborde aussi les difficultés de suivi, d'évaluation et de responsabilisation de la défense numérique. Elle s'appuie sur une recherche de doctorat portant sur des campagnes Twitter internationales dans sept pays.

• Le passage des ONG du bénévolat traditionnel aux actions en ligne
• La difficulté de mesurer l'impact réel de la défense numérique
• Une recherche doctorale sur des campagnes Twitter dans sept pays

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