Picture of me and my daughter, Rocca

A quiet revolution is happening.

Not a revolution of dissidents. Not an underground revolution of rebels. But a revolution that is transforming how 51% of the population are living their lives. A technological revolution that is changing the economic and political structure of the country we live in. There are now more women than men on sites such as MySpace and Twitter. The fastest growing segment on Facebook is made up of women between the ages of 35-55, many of whom have children. 78% of all mums are now online and Mumsnet has become a growing political force currently being courted by all 3 political leaders.

But more interesting than the statistics is to understand why this revolution is happening. What is technology enabling mums to do that they could not do before? How are mums using technology to enhance and empower their life? And as companies begin to realise the political and financial opportunities that mums represent, how can they start engaging them about what they care about and going beyond subjects such as nappies, childcare and maternity pay?

I had worked most of my life and at the age of 32, I had my first child. I had always been confident at work and had enough (maybe too much) self belief to think I would always feel the same. After my son was born, I took 6 months off and although I loved it I felt pretty isolated. After a while, I got sick of the relentless lunches and talking about my son’s bowel movements and pretending I was interested in other people’s children whom I barely knew. So I went back to work with a mix of both anticipation and trepidation. I had been away so long, and had had almost no contact with anyone from work so I wasn’t even sure my brain was still up to the job. This resulted in me losing confidence and feeling conscious about myself and, for the first time in my life, doubting my working abilities. I returned a very different person. I had lost a part of my identity. I had grown into a mother, wife, housekeeper and nurturer but at the same time, I had lost a part of me.

Fast forward two years to the birth of my daughter and my second maternity leave. This time round Twitter, Facebook and Blackberrys are very much a part of my life. I do not feel the same sense of isolation as I am constantly connected to my personal and working world. Social networks enable me to re-inforce my identity (albeit a slightly different one). They give me an instant audience for my ideas and thoughts. They allow me to amplify my voice. But most importantly they give me a sense of status.

I have strengthened bonds with colleagues and friends which in turn has enabled me to strengthen my own sense of identity and status. If companies want to connect with mums and be part of this revolution, they must start to understand and engage them in the things that women care about, not what they think women care about - nappies and maternity leave.

Companies must understand the sense of isolation and lack of identity that women can feel when they have children. And the different life-stages that women go through.

A revolution is a call for change. Companies must act differently in this new world.

Vive la révolution.

Belinda Parmar is the founder of Lady Geek, helping technology companies understand and sell to women. You can follow Belinda Parmar on twitter at www.twitter.com/belindaparmar.