The Role of Social Networking Sites in Activating The Political Participation of Iraqi Women in The Iraqi Political Scene

Abstract

The social networking sites have been able to attract media, politicians and large segments of society due to the tremendous developments in the field of communication technology. These websites have changed many of the concepts and roles which played by the media in all its forms. For instance, the internet no longer plays the role of media carrier, but it has become a platform for expressing the different ideas and political trends adopted by users of these networks, also, making many elites and public figures from these sites a platform for ,and to encourage them to participate in the political action and alignment of the category of others, and since women are a cornerstone of society (it is half the society) cannot be ignored or denied its role in the public life in general and  the political life in particular, the social networking sites have the ability to reach this category with all its special characteristics and try to attract them to participate in political work in all its categories and roles (whether as a voter, as a parliamentary candidate, or as an employee in the executive branch). 
Hence, the study aims at identifying the ability of the social media in activating the role of women in the Iraqi political scene. The study included three topics. The first topic dealt with the methodological framework of the study such as the problem of the study and its questions and objectives and the research methodology used in it. The second topic the cognitive framework of the study through a cognitive presentation of the concept of political participation and the reality of the participation of Iraqi women in the Iraqi political scene, as well as dealing with  the obstacles that prevent more participation and activation of Iraqi women in the Iraqi political scene, The third topic included the results of the study.