An amazing demonstration for International Women’s Day took place in Berlin yesterday, with an estimated 30,000 attendees, most of whom were women.

Later, when I searched the Fediverse for posts about the demonstration, I could only find three profiles other than my own.

This made me wonder about the discrepancy between what happens in the streets and what is reflected on social media. Social media can be a powerful space for political expression, dialogue, and connection. However, it requires a critical mass of users.

Some time ago, I ran a small poll asking women if patriarchal dynamics and male behavior on Mastodon, which is still largely dominated by white men, make participation harder.

Out of 169 responses, about 59% said yes (23% totally agree and 36% partially agree). Just 20% totally disagree. [1]

Even though that poll is far from representative, I couldn't forget the result when I noticed how little discussion there was here about the 30,000-person feminist demonstration in Berlin.

For the Fediverse to be a viable alternative to mainstream platforms, it must reflect the diversity and energy of offline movements. In my opinion, suggesting that "normies" should remain on Bluesky is not the way to go.

#b0803 #Feminism #Berlin #WomensDay #FrauenTag #Fediverse #Fediversity #Mastodon #8M

In a recent comparison of engagement around a Leave.X campaign post,[1] someone pointed out that a female journalist who is active in the feminist movement and critical of Big Tech had a very different experience than others.

The Mastodon post was shared twice, while the Bluesky version was shared over 200 times and received significantly more interactions. This raises questions about tech-savvy spaces like Mastodon and how they reflect broader societal issues.

For women on Mastodon:

Do you feel that the patriarchal dynamics and male behavior in this space, which is still largely dominated by white men, make it harder for women to participate?

#Mastodon #Diversity #Fediversity #Fediverse #Feminism #BlueSky #Inclusion