Is social media usage related to the acceptance of Arab women in community leadership? Since the Arab Spring, many have linked information communication technology (ICTs) with fast-moving political transitions, but their implications for widespread attitudinal shifts empowering women remain unclear. We use nationally representative survey data from Qatar to explore the relationship between social media and women's empowerment. Findings indicate that social media usage is related to increased support for women in community leadership among Qatari females but not males. Women are using social media to engage with the public sphere, even where political activism has not been common.

社交媒体的使用是否与阿拉伯妇女在社区领导中的接受度有关？自“阿拉伯之春”以来，许多人已经将信息通信技术与快速发展的政治过渡联系在一起，但是它们对赋予妇女权力的广泛态度转变的影响仍然不清楚。我们使用来自卡塔尔的具有全国代表性的调查数据来探索社交媒体与增强妇女权能之间的关系。调查结果表明，社交媒体的使用与卡塔尔女性（而非男性）对妇女在社区领导中的支持增加有关。妇女正在利用社交媒体与公共领域互动，即使在政治活动主义并不普遍的地方也是如此。