Mobile Activism on Violence against Women amongst Youth in Delhi and NCR

Wireless Communication and mobile phones have emerged as a powerful tool for social engagement. Mobile phones are increasingly playing a vital role in shaping activism, raising awareness, and ultimately giving citizens a voice setting grounds for activism and citizen journalism. Several issues are being discussed worldwide through mobile applications such as WeChat, BlackBerry Messenger and WhatsApp; and through blogs, social networking websites, and accessed using mobile phones worldwide for cause-related fundraising, lobbying, volunteering, and community building, with an aim to generate people's movements and collective actions disseminating relevant messages across to masses. A worldwide prevalent issue, violence faced by women in various forms, especially in Asian countries, has a profound effect on a woman's life affecting their participation in different walks of life including workforce, society and political participation; retarding their status in their native society. The paper highlights the interaction of youth in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) with mobile technologies and their applications in activism on violence against women (VAW) assessed through personal interviews. The study found that mobile phone is an effective agent in galvanizing different forms of online and offline actions concentrating on eliminating VAW worldwide.