As we move into the digital age, using social media has become second nature to us. Nonetheless, the internet is frequently used to perpetrate violence against women and minorities. Given that 48% of women report being the subject of online abuse, social media platforms have made women feel more violated than ever. According to a study of 51 countries for the UN Women’s Gender Snapshot 2022, 38% of women had experienced online abuse in some way.
coto- a global social community, #WomenforWomen platform is working along the same lines by fostering digital safe spaces for women, where they can come together to express, engage, and earn. With over 5000 communities, coto is a free and ethical online platform founded/based on the concept of decentralisation, transparency, and trust. It is a collaboration between content creation and community building, in which every user holds actual value and ownership of the content they create.
In a recent virtual meet with women in Nagpur, SonaliNakshine, coto City Ambassador, addressed the issues women face in the online space. She introduced the experts on the virtual meet – Zoya Siraj Sheikh, Mrs. Universe Brilliance 2022-23; Sonal Fuke, Founder-Be Sorted; Meghna Kumre, Dietician & Nutritionist; Meghna Nene -Founder of Wall it with Meghna; Parveen Tuli-Therapist & Coach and Dr. Leena Nemade, Founder of Dr. Leena’s Reshape Studio. The session’s objective was to come together to celebrate womanhood and introduce the community’s experts to its members while discussing the larger purpose of building this coto community for the local women of Nagpur.
The session shed light on the various communities’ coto harbors for its users centered around fashion, beauty, food, marketing, wellness, entrepreneurship, and more. The women talked about how essential it is for them to encourage one another and celebrate their modest victories. The experts shared their entrepreneurship stories to inspire other boss ladies to develop and nurture their entrepreneurial ambitions.
Aparna Acharekar, Co-Founder, coto said, “It is essential to protect women from the dangers they encounter online. We at coto took the initiative and established this platform exclusively to improve women’s online experiences.”
“When used correctly, the internet can be a blessing. For example, the #MeToo movement united women all around the world and empowered them to confront the perpetrator. Women-only networks developed by and for women are growing in popularity and importance. coto is
based on the similar idea that women may form communities and support, encourage, and uplift one another through free speech on a wide range of topics. It provides a space for women to work, learn, and discuss whatever they choose. Women on coto are not only safe, but they also collaborate, partner up, generate money, and develop their own communities with distinct themes and ideas,” she added.
coto City Ambassador, Sonali Nakshine, said, “coto stands for coming together and now we have come together to create a meaningful network and share inspiring stories of the boss ladies of Nagpur. coto is a safe and secure platform for women that employs technology to restrict access to women alone. Another significant aspect of coto is that it’s a very non-judgmental platform where women may freely share anything with one another.”
Sonali Nakshine’s community ‘Boss Beauties of Nagpur’ on coto aims to celebrate womanhood and celebrate each other’s success.
Here’s what local members from Nagpur had to say upon being asked about their association:
Zoya Siraj Sheikh, Mrs. Universe Brilliance 2022-23, said,“When your friends believe in you, you believe you can accomplish anything. It happened to me as well. My family and friends urged me to compete in Mrs. Universe Brilliance. My trip lasted seven days, and the most significant topic was domestic abuse. It is widespread not only in India but throughout the world. I chose the issue of self-defense within the context of domestic violence and described it thoroughly. I still give self-defense classes in schools now. Such self-defense seminars, in my opinion, should be made mandatory in all schools. Domestic abuse instances would be reduced if everyone received self-defense training.”
Sonal Fuke, Founder, Be Sorted, said, “My spouse traveled to the United States to pursue his master’s degree, and I accompanied him. I worked as an architect in the United States. We returned to India from the United States in 2007. In the name of Toddler Creed, I attempted to establish an acceptable atmosphere for my children. It is a day-care child-development center that we have successfully run for eleven years. From 2015 to 2016, I worked for my husband’s company, where I provided emotional support to employees.”
Parveen Tuli, Therapist & Coach, said, “The greatest opportunities come when you turn your challenges into opportunities. I went into my journey of self-exploration and self-awareness. I was very fascinated with consciousness as a subject. My job is making people aware of their body memories, subconscious and emotional patterns, and somatic experiences. I help people undo their past, live their present, and create their journey for the future.”
Meghna Kumre, Dietician & Nutritionist, said, “I believe that if there is a problem, there is also a solution. Positive things happen to you when you think optimistically. I wasn’t particularly focused at first because I was always changing cities. However, following a series of personal failures, I became more focused and eager to push my clinic to new heights. When I first opened my own clinic, I sought to reach out to individuals through radio broadcasts and newspaper articles. I would not have tasted success today if I had not put in all of the efforts back then.”
Dr. Leena Nemade, Founder, Dr. Leena’s Reshape Studio, said, “After completing my MBBS in the United States, I returned to Nagpur. Life had been easy up to that point. I realised one day while working that I shouldn’t be working for someone else and compromising my ideals for them. That’s when I decided to open my own laboratory. At Reshape Studio, we think that your attitude in life is more important than your physical appearance. Reshaping is more than simply physical reshaping; it is also about changing one’s attitude toward life.”
Meghna Nene, Founder, Wall it with Meghna, said, “I’ve always felt the desire to do more and be more. Business was something that piqued my interest. I wasn’t qualified for it, but it was offered to me. Work has always come first, and qualification has always come second. I am a corporate communication trainer and the owner of two enterprises, one in interior design and the other in finance. I kept doing whatever life threw at me and never said no to anything that came my way. One significant decision I made during my entrepreneurial path was to remain single.”