Why are there so few women using the Internet, one of the most exciting research and communication tools of our time? "The reason for the small minority of women on the Internet is that the content and culture online has not been hospitable to women," explains Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority. "We are out to close the gender gap on the Internet with our brand-new World Wide Web site, Feminist Majority Online."Located at , the Feminist Majority’s site won an award for "The Best Women’s Non-Profit Site" from Impact On-Line within days of being up. And NewsCom/MCI’s homepage proclaims, "don’t let the flashy interface fool you — like the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove, this site packs a punch."
Upon reaching the Feminist Majority home-page, users are able to choose from a variety of options by clicking on the pink buttons against a background of women’s symbols. Included are not only Feminist Majority publications, but also a "Take Action" section where users can contact Congress through on-line e-mail and fax services, help raise money for breast cancer and domestic violence, and help support a sex discrimination case.
The "Feminist News" area keeps users updated, on a daily basis, about issues pertaining to women and feminism. "911 for Women" contains resources such as domestic violence hotlines and job postings for progressive organizations. The "Feminist University Network" lists women’s studies and women’s centers across the country, and features a searchable database of feminist faculty.
To reach other feminist materials on the Internet, the Feminist Majority site features the "Feminist Internet Gateway," with short descriptions of the best feminist sites and women’s research resources on the Internet as well as instant links to those sites. In addition, users can search the entire World Wide Web, including a wide range of government, media, and publisher resources through Feminist Majority Online.
Because it is interactive, Feminist Majority Online helps feminists organize. Users can take the feminist census, contribute to a calendar of events, become part of a feminist faculty database, and join the Feminist Alert Network. "On-line organizing provides the women’s movement the most powerful tool for reaching women worldwide with in-depth information," said Smeal. "It plays to our strengths; we’ve always been long on content and short on financial resources. We can reach women without the high cost of mail and long-distance phone calls."
Each month, the site highlights different issues. October features information on both Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The Breast Cancer Information Center contains links to breast cancer web pages, fact sheets about Breast Cancer, access to information on current Clinical Trials and the National Cancer Institute’s CancerNet breast cancer articles. The Stop Domestic Violence section contains hotline numbers for women who need help, links to domestic violence resources on the internet, and a calendar of events which includes a listing of the Y.W.C.A.’s Week Without Violence. Both areas also contain "What You Can Do" and "Hotline" information.
In August and September users could read daily newsbytes from the Feminist Majority Foundation Delegation at the Fourth World’s Women Conference in Beijing, including the full text of First Lady Hillary Rodham-Clinton’s two speeches and the text of Commitments from nations present at the conference, and highlights of the NGO forum.