Nine Things Women Talked about the Most in India on Twitter

Ahead of International Women’s Day 2021, Twitter commissioned independent research to uncover insights around what women in India are talking about on the service. A quantitative survey amongst 700 women on Twitter was carried out, along with the qualitative curation and analysis of 522,992 Tweets sent out by female Twitter accounts between January 2019 and February 2021 by women across 10 Indian cities.

The research found that women in India have carved their own space on Twitter with a diverse range of conversations. Nine dominant conversational themes emerged from an in-depth look at the Tweets. With a 24.9% share, Passion points and interests emerged as the top conversation theme, with women talking most about fashion, books, beauty, entertainment and food on the service. Current affairs (20.8%), Celebratory moments (14.5%), Communities (11.7%) and Social change (8.7%) also featured in the top five conversation themes among women on Twitter. While conversations around Everyday chatter and Celebratory Moments saw the highest engagement in terms of average number of Likes and replies per Tweet, Passion Points and Interests, Communities and Shared challenges were the most Retweeted categories.

Cities showcased their different points of conversation: Chennai led conversations around Celebratory moments, Creative showcase and Everyday chatter, Bengaluru dominated chatter around Communities, Social change and Shared challenges, while Guwahati fronted conversations around Passion points and interests and Current affairs.

Manish Maheshwari, managing director at Twitter India, said: “We commissioned this research to build our understanding about women on Twitter and were inspired by the results. These insights show us that Twitter is for every woman. Their communities and conversations highlight the uniqueness and diversity of the service. Access to a free and open Internet has made it possible for everyone to express themselves freely without barriers. As a service our goal is to build on this foundation, giving people new ways to converse, form communities and control who can interact with them in a conversation.”

Most talked about conversation themes among women on Twitter in India

Passion points and interests (24.9%): Kpop to cricket, women Tweet the most about their passions; Guwahati, Lucknow and Pune lead the pack. One of the main reasons women (24.9%) come to Twitter is to pursue their interests, and represent their passions. Within this category are those who seek content on fashion (30%), books (28%), beauty (25%), movies and TV (21%), music (18%), food (18%), technology (17%), art (17%) and sports (14%). 41% women say they discovered a new interest on Twitter.

Current affairs (20.8%): Women turn to Twitter to stay informed; Guwahati and Delhi lead the discourse

20.8% of women use Twitter’s open, real-time nature to stay informed on local and international news. Tweets about #StudentExams, #COVID19 related updates and #DelhiElections2020 dominated the conversation in this category.

Celebratory moments (14.5%): From professional to personal wins, women Tweet to celebrate little joys of life; Chennai, Kolkata and Madurai lead the party. Women (14.5%) on Twitter love sharing their everyday wins – no matter how big or small, both personal and professional. Through hashtags such as #WomenWhoWin, #TheMomentOfLift, #SmallWins and #EverydayJoys, they are normalising the celebration of little and big wins.

Communities (11.7%): Be it #WomenInScience or #GirlGamers, women love Tweeting to connect; Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad ace making new connections. Women (11.7%) are using the power of virtual communities to reach out, connect and network with others. These women are coming together with hashtags such as #WomenInScience, #WomenInTech, #WomenInMarketing, and #GirlGamers. Through these conversations, women often find camaraderie and support. While 41% of women have sought advice/tips/recommendations on the service, 37% have given advice/tips/recommendations to others and 32% have gained real-life friendship(s).

Social change (8.7%): Women Tweet to empower and bring about a change in society through online movements such as #SheforShe and #TimesUp; Bengaluru, Guwahati, and Delhi lead the way in shining a light on critical matters. Women (8.7%) on Twitter don’t hold back when it comes to supporting their community and over the years, they have harnessed the power of Tweets to give rise to and participate in several social movements from #SheforShe, #TimesUp to #MeToo.

Shared challenges (6.9%): Women Tweet about everyday hardships such as #Parenting and #WorkingFromHome, seeking solace in online conversations; Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai are open about their realities and challenges. In India, women (6.9%) Tweet about challenges, be it working from home with kids or being a single mom. While personal, these shared experiences are relatable, allowing them to build a shared intimacy in public.

Creative showcase (4.2%): From #Photography to #Poetry, Indian women use Twitter to exhibit their creativity to a virtual audience; Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai lead the show With the opportunity to display their talent to a larger audience on Twitter, women (4.2%) from diverse backgrounds in India have been showcasing their creative best on the service. It’s common to see conversations about #Art, #Photography, #Dance, #CulinaryArts, among others, in one’s timeline.

Heartfelt confessions (4.2%): Tweets on #ModernDating, mental health, and much more. Women open up on Twitter about experiences in their personal lives; Madurai and Mumbai bare it all down. Women (4.2%) in Indian use Twitter to express their personal inhibitions and fears. These conversations are informal, intimate and raw, demanding people’s attention

Everyday chatter (4%): From #SareeTwitter to #LockdownRecipes women love to Tweet and share their everyday experiences; Chennai and Mumbai lead conversations. Women (4%) Tweet about their daily activities making the service a huge part of their life. For instance, Tweets about regular outfits and accessories like #SareeTwitter, #JhumkaTwitter, and #BindiTwitter created a shared experience and harboured a sense of community. 33% of women use Twitter while commuting, 29% use it during breakfast, 24% use it upon waking up and 22% use it just before bed.