Blogging and Gender Activism in Nigeria

This book critically examines the interplay between gender inequality and activism in Nigeria and related African contexts. It does so by tackling, for the first time, the vibrant world of Nigerian blogs, where topics of gender inequality are actively discussed, openly challenged, and subtly differentiated. Blog discourses in Nigeria have amplified gender inequality, made visible hidden cases of gender discrimination, mounted pressure on the government, and fostered debates on the socio-economic and cultural status of women. Nevertheless, there is an evident hierarchisation of gender inequality topics among Nigerians, which affects how certain issues of discrimination are recognised, received, and represented, both online and off. This book combines qualitative methods such as textual analysis, critical discourse analysis, interviews, and thematic analysis to generate rich and rigorous insights. By adopting this multifaceted approach, it provides a broader and more critical perspective on blogging practices in Africa than previously attempted, contributing to feminist media studies, cultural studies, communication studies, sociology, political science, social psychology, anthropology, and women’s and gender studies. As a highly original piece of research, this book appeals to scholars, students, activists, and the public in both Western and non-Western English-speaking nations, fostering a deeper understanding of the dynamic intersections between digital media, culture, and society.

Diretnan Dikwal-Bot is an Assistant Professor and Ad Astra Fellow in Digital Media Studies at University College Dublin, Ireland. Her research interests and expertise focus broadly on the analysis of media use, social inequality, and cultural politics with a particular interest in gender, race, and ethnicity.  Her recent publications are in Critical Discourse Studies, Feminist Media Studies and the International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics.