YouTube as a Tool for Women Entrepreneurs: Unblocking Access to Business Tutorials and Success Stories

Censorship exists across the board for good and for bad. On one hand, censorship may perpetuate oppression, gatekeeping vital information, but it can also be vital in protecting public safety, national security and even societal values. In fact, even parents censor online content when offering screen time to their children, so if Youtube is not all bad, there would be no need for any kind of censorship. There are too many varying factors of censorship and users will have to be armed with the necessary exposure and expertise to differentiate between propaganda and factual reporting, a skill that is not so easily picked up, especially when living in certain financial brackets, which may be why Youtube is currently blocked in countries such as China, Iran, and North Korea, while some countries have a restriction on the video sharing platform, namely Russia, Thailand, and Turkmenistan.

However, a blade or a gun is only harmful in the hands of the wrong people and the same can be said of any tool invented by humankind. Youtube is one of these tools. It can be used for the greater good, or it can be used to perpetuate hate and violence. There have been instances of users learning how to play the piano, learn English, or even how to start a business, all through the power of Youtube.

Youtube has become a free resource for people of all ages and backgrounds, which is why being able to unblock YouTube sites is also akin to finding liberation.

Women entrepreneurs attributing success to Youtube

There are plenty of inspirational videos on Youtube, but Youtube itself is also a platform in itself that can offer women from all walks of life a chance at changing their lives. There are plenty of women who are able to lift themselves out of poverty and oppression through the platform whereby they gain a wide enough audience in order to become partners or have sponsors that are willing to help them grow or reach a wider audience.

Lilly Singh is one of the most subscribed women on Youtube that represents the BIPOC community. She started off making skits and relatable videos about being South Asian. She has gone on to create awareness regarding the situation in Kenya, where girls were being kept from schools, and has also published a book on shaping women's mentality on how to be independent and resourceful.

Without Youtube as a platform, there would not have been a person like Lilly Singh, who continues to fight for gender equality, offer a voice to the oppressed, or even a voice for herself, a boss in her own right.

Youtube continues to be an invaluable platform for both resources and as a gateway for individuals to showcase their ideas and individuality. Becoming a Youtube sensation may be a one in a million dream, but for that one person, it is most definitely a life changing event.