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Constructing and Defending Gender Justice Narratives on Facebook: A Digital Ethnographic Study of Kenyan Feminist Organisations

Kogei, Saul Kiptoo LU (2026) SIMZ21 20261
Master of Science in Social Studies of Gender
Abstract
Around the world, hard-won feminist progress is facing an organised and severe backlash. This thesis examines how formal feminist organisations in Kenya construct, defend, and sustain gender-justice narratives on Facebook amid a challenging "post-truth" digital landscape. Drawing on Nancy Fraser’s theory of subaltern counterpublics and employing digital ethnography, the study investigates how these organisations adapt their messaging, respond to online backlash, and navigate platform affordances to create both safe spaces and sites of agitation. Key findings reveal that these Kenyan feminist organisations strategically vernacularize advocacy language, employ visual storytelling, and curate digital "safe houses" to foster solidarity and... (More)
Around the world, hard-won feminist progress is facing an organised and severe backlash. This thesis examines how formal feminist organisations in Kenya construct, defend, and sustain gender-justice narratives on Facebook amid a challenging "post-truth" digital landscape. Drawing on Nancy Fraser’s theory of subaltern counterpublics and employing digital ethnography, the study investigates how these organisations adapt their messaging, respond to online backlash, and navigate platform affordances to create both safe spaces and sites of agitation. Key findings reveal that these Kenyan feminist organisations strategically vernacularize advocacy language, employ visual storytelling, and curate digital "safe houses" to foster solidarity and resilience among followers while managing backlash and algorithmic constraints. The study identifies the dual role of digital platforms as both refuge and battleground, highlighting the extensive affective and logistical labour required to sustain digital activism in the face of networked misogyny and algorithmic suppression. By presenting the lived experiences and tactical innovations of formal feminist organisations, this thesis advances understanding of digital counterpublics and hybrid activism in the Global South. It concludes that while digital spaces offer potential for collective empowerment and mobilisation, their liberatory promise can only be realised through intersectional practices that centre the needs and voices of the most marginalised. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Kogei, Saul Kiptoo LU
supervisor
organization
course
SIMZ21 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Feminist campaign, Gender-justice, Digital Ethnography, Subaltern Counterpublics, Post-truths.
language
English
id
9233257
date added to LUP
2026-06-25 11:56:41
date last changed
2026-06-25 11:56:41
@misc{9233257,
  abstract     = {{Around the world, hard-won feminist progress is facing an organised and severe backlash. This thesis examines how formal feminist organisations in Kenya construct, defend, and sustain gender-justice narratives on Facebook amid a challenging "post-truth" digital landscape. Drawing on Nancy Fraser’s theory of subaltern counterpublics and employing digital ethnography, the study investigates how these organisations adapt their messaging, respond to online backlash, and navigate platform affordances to create both safe spaces and sites of agitation. Key findings reveal that these Kenyan feminist organisations strategically vernacularize advocacy language, employ visual storytelling, and curate digital "safe houses" to foster solidarity and resilience among followers while managing backlash and algorithmic constraints. The study identifies the dual role of digital platforms as both refuge and battleground, highlighting the extensive affective and logistical labour required to sustain digital activism in the face of networked misogyny and algorithmic suppression. By presenting the lived experiences and tactical innovations of formal feminist organisations, this thesis advances understanding of digital counterpublics and hybrid activism in the Global South. It concludes that while digital spaces offer potential for collective empowerment and mobilisation, their liberatory promise can only be realised through intersectional practices that centre the needs and voices of the most marginalised.}},
  author       = {{Kogei, Saul Kiptoo}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Constructing and Defending Gender Justice Narratives on Facebook: A Digital Ethnographic Study of Kenyan Feminist Organisations}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}