Digital Dynamics: Exploring Social Media's Influence on Political Participation of Mishing Women of Assam.

The political participation of women, in contrast to their male counterparts, is a basic prerequisite for gender equality and democracy. It facilitates women's direct participation in the decision-making process and is a means of ensuring better accountability for women. Various factors, including the media, influence political participation by raising awareness and setting the agenda, thereby changing or strengthening social mores and mobilizing citizens to progressive action. The emergence of social media has made information dissemination more democratic, thereby raising people's awareness of political participation. This paper examines the role of social media in women's political participation in the Mishing community, a patrilineal society where women's participation is lower. The study found that social media raises awareness and provides information for informed decision making, but does not necessarily increase political participation among women from the Mishing community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]