WIP presented the preliminary report of the WIP-Facebook study on the use of social media by female Parliamentarians during the WIP Global Summit 2016 in Jordan. This first analysis, elaborated by the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, was discussed during the session “Politics in the Digital Age”.
The preliminary report includes survey answers from female politicians from more than 100 countries. The data shows that nearly 90% of the participants use social media in their political work. Their most frequently used social media platform is Facebook, which about two thirds of the respondents use on a daily basis. The results also highlight loyal voters and campaign workers as the most important audiences for the politicians.
The data from the survey will be subject to a final and deeper analysis by Harvard University this summer. The key findings of this study will be used to describe differences and similarities in social media use by Parliamentarians who function in different types of political systems — for example, whether elections in a country are conducted on the basis of separate districts or party lists.
This will be the second study conducted by WIP, after the WIP-World Bank study “The Female Political Career”, which was presented in 2015. With the WIP Studies, the Women in Parliaments Global Forum aims to build knowledge about the current situation of female politicians by identifying the data and evidence that can support advocacy for policy changes. This new study will also help female legislators to better understand how to use social media effectively.
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If you are a female Parliamentarian and have not yet participated in the survey, we would be very grateful if you could spare the time to complete the survey. It is available in English, Spanish and French via the following link: https://harvard.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_aazdix6XpxjuysR
