From nurturing sisterhood to providing support networks, women-led Facebook groups in Kolkata have redefined empowerment in real life through virtual bonds.
The pandemic has created many new trends, such as virtual work, the e-commerce boom, the rise in virtual communication, awareness about mental health, and more. Virtual communication is one key area where Facebook communities have become a sanctuary for women’s solidarity. These interest-based, women-led communities have emerged as platforms for self-expression and mutual support. In Kolkata, many big, medium, and small communities, like The Earthy Ways, Womanhood, Sahochori, Women Untamed, Belly Tales, and others, have proved safe and open communication spaces for women.
For example, Women Untamed, a close-knit community of women from all walks of life, has impacted its members indelibly. Upamita Majumdar founded Women Untamed during the pandemic to connect with her friends, initially serving as a virtual gathering place to combat loneliness. Each member started adding a group of female friends, leading to a thriving group where, through daily interactions, members shared their lives, from recipes to personal challenges and urgent needs. Fostering a sense of camaraderie and emotional support, the community grew as women started recommending it to their friends. Post-Covid, Upamita expanded the group beyond its virtual boundaries, organizing offline meetups and creating a dedicated moderator team to maintain a supportive and inclusive environment.
Upamita Majumdar, the community’s admin and full-time corporate employee, emphasizes how Women Untamed has established a space for sisterhood and solidarity. She says, “Isolation during Covid led me to create a safe and nurturing space for my friends and me to connect daily. Women Untamed started small with just a few friends, but it has now grown to over 8,000 members, where members found solace in the sisterhood, which provided emotional support to all. We maintain strong community guidelines where members share everything under the sun with the utmost respect.”
Each of these Facebook communities maintains a strong protocol of maintaining guidelines and checks. The admins and the moderators vet all posts and comments. Also, they admit members only after checking if the profile is real and meets the basic criteria. Communities keep the members engaged with regular posts on trending topics, contests, and challenges where every member is encouraged to participate. Most communities have the provision of posting anonymous confessions where members can seek advice from others for their problems. The engagement on such posts shows how vested the audience is in solving their community fellow’s problems. Judgemental comments are discouraged, and they are against the guidelines of the community. Members violating the rules, especially disrespecting another member, are often asked to leave the community.
Beyond such strong emotional support and celebrating sisterhood, these Facebook communities have become powerful platforms for small women-owned businesses. Groups like Being Gorgeous (104.1K members), The Earthy Ways (187.7K members), and Sahochori (52.3K members) allow women entrepreneurs to reach their target audience through live sessions, coupon promotions, and targeted advertising. By leveraging these virtual spaces, small businesses can connect with potential customers and expand their reach. Recently, Sahochori organized a mega exhibition for all its virtual sellers before the Durga Puja, which became a great opportunity for all members to meet up offline. The Earthy Ways also held a similar yearly exhibition called “Namah.”
Mili Roy, a regular seller at Being Gorgeous, owns a block printing artisan brand called Yaktaa and shares her finding customers through these groups. She says, “When I started Yaktaa in 2022, I focused on one Facebook group (Being Gorgeous) because the members in that group are exactly what my target customer is. I do retailing in home furnishings and at the same time provide printing service to other online brands pan-India. Interestingly many sellers (dealing in sarees and women apparel) in Being Gorgeous group are now my clients and we do customized design printing for them. Building this client base of online sellers was mainly done through word-of-mouth and referrals. Over two years I found many women-led online brands approaching us by themselves for their brand work. There is a strong sense of sisterhood where women are helping each other in enabling their business to thrive. On the retail front, I have created a loyal client base of more than 3000+ and it is not just about selling and buying; they provide feedback and suggestions which really helps us to improve further. Yaktaa’s entire foundation (printing service and retail) is entirely online based.”
Reshmi Pramanik, a journalist and member of multiple such communities, discusses finding friendship among like-minded women. She states, “I am a part of many such groups, and I found some great friends there. I attend offline exhibitions conducted by these communities. Recently, I went to Sahochori’s Pujo exhibition, where my friend Pian Sengupta was exhibiting her Rangroz products. A fun fact is Pian and I connected via this community and bonded over our love for arts. I also post a lot about my cooking and experiments with new recipes, which get a lot of appreciation in the communities.”
Virtual communities are proving to be a game-changer in a world where social media is often accused of isolating people. Rather, these communities are bringing women together, building bonds of a lifetime where they put down their phones and laptops and choose to connect in real life. From emotional support to career guidance to providing a platform for small sellers, these communities have proved to be dynamic sources of inspiration, fostering the true spirit of community.
Copy editor: Dipta Joshi