Social media activism and offline campaigns in the fight against domestic violence in Ghana. A study of selected activists on Facebook

Abstract

An emerging area concerning social media is how it can be used to champion a social cause through activism. Social media has demonstrated the potential for mobilising attention and accountability to women’s right and challenging discrimination and stereotypes. Also, social media has proven to be a powerful vehicle for bringing women’s right issues to the attention of a wider public. This study seeks to explore how social media activisms and “offline” campaigns can be used in the fight against domestic violence in Ghana. With the use of cyber ethnography, interviews and theories like the social capital, social network theory and the resource mobilisation theory, the usefulness of social media (Facebook) in amplifying the atrocities of victims of domestic violence was investigated. Purposive sampling and snowballing were the two major types of sampling used to arrive at seven activists who were interviewed and observed on Facebook. Social media was identified as an avenue for victims to vent, this offered them the opportunity to tell the whole world what they are going through. Also, the activists noted that the content of their posts on Facebook has been able to educate people on domestic violence. Facebook offers a ground for activists to network and share ideas on how to assist victims who reach out to them. Funding for activism was one interesting area that emerged in this study. This is when the activists can use SM space to raise money and other resources needed to boost the particular cause they are working on.