In the century we live in, there is an undeniable fact that interests everyone, which is how to live in the digital world and develop it without improving the gender gap. Compared to the past, the participation of women in the internet is being addressed by organisations more efficiently now. As Re:framing Migrants in European Media, we are happy to share the incredible story of one of our female participants, Paloma Etienne, who was selected by the Cryptoconexión.
Words by Paloma Etienne
I am deeply honoured to be included in CryptoConexión’s list commemorating March 8, 2023, which features 50 dynamic and visionary Latin and indigenous women who #buidl Web3. This year’s International Women’s Day theme chosen by the UN is “For an inclusive digital world: Innovation and technology for gender equality,” and I feel grateful to have the opportunity to showcase my career and plans for our Web3 community and allies. #DaosAshé. I am delighted to belong to this group of entrepreneurs and daring thinkers, and I invite you to learn about their projects in this special feature:
When it comes to Web3, I believe that for many there is a special moment or circumstance that leads them into it, but for me, my beginnings were very natural and organic. Web3 is gifted with communities of enthusiastic users that soon become new friends. Something I will always remember on my first Twitter Space, where Web3 enthusiasts gather to talk and ask questions. I didn’t have much experience using Twitter, and Mónica Talán, a major player in the field, helped me put pins in a space where she talked about WAGMI LatAm, and that’s how we met. She has been a mentor to me in an incredibly generous way.
It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, at the moment, people who are in the know spend their time giving others advice. I love the Web3 space, it is the kind of thing you come across just a few times in a lifetime.
I have always imagined that art would be democratised, and that the internet would be the tool to make it happen. Thus, I founded the DAO Ashé, which is the first decentralised Web3 NFT community in Spain made up of racially diverse, disabled, LGBTIQ+, and allied artists and activists. Ashé was founded with the intention to prevent diverse and racialized communities from lagging behind in the Web3 revolution, and the idea is to provide them with resources in this new environment to lead the transition to blockchain technology on the internet.
For me, educating women in this new digital ecosystem is essential because it coincides with the thought that “educating a woman educates a nation.” Women, ancestrally, have the ability to share information and create networks among ourselves.
I also want to clarify that the term #Buidl in the article is written correctly. It comes from the word “build” but is intentionally misspelt to refer to a movement that encourages all crypto and blockchain enthusiasts to keep building this ecosystem to help increase adoption.