Violence Against Women in the Global South: Reporting in the #MeToo era (Palgrave Studies in Journalism and the Global South)

Bringing together 14 journalism scholars from around the world, this edited collection addresses the deficit of coverage of violence against women in the Global South by examining the role of the legacy press and social media that report on and highlight ways to improve reporting. Authors investigate the ontological limitations which present structural and systemic challenges for journalists who report on the normalization of violence against women in country cases in Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; Indonesia; Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa; Egypt; Libya, Syria, and Yemen. Challenges include patriarchal forces; gender imbalance in newsrooms; propaganda and censorship strategies by repressive, hyper-masculine, and populist political regimes; economic and digital inequities; and civil and transnational wars. Presenting diverse conceptual, methodological, and empirical chapters, the collection offers a revision of existing frameworks and guidelines and aims to promote more gender-sensitive, trauma-informed, solutions-driven, and victim or survivor centered reporting in the region. Acknowledgments About the Book Praise for Violence Against Women in the Global South Contents Notes on Contributors List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1: Reporting on Violence Against Women in the Global South Introduction Global North Versus Global South Violence Against Women Femicide or Feminicide Impact of COVID 19 #MeToo-related Movements and Hashtag Journalism Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality, and Hashtag Activism Before #MeToo: Traditional News Framing Regarding Violence Against Women Use of Police Sources: Violence Against Women as Episodic Cases or Social Phenomenon #MeToo Era: Challenging the Global North Discourse About Violence Against Women Differing Global Experiences of Violence Against Women Three Aims of the Edited Collection Intersectional Lens Multidisciplinary and Multifaceted Methodologies Solutions Journalism Approach Book outline Southeast Asia Latin America Sub-Saharan Africa North Africa and the Middle East Conclusion References Part I: South Asia Chapter 2: Indonesian Female Journalists and Gender Activism in the #MeToo Era: From #MulaiBicara and #TalkAboutIt Introduction Indonesia’s Political History and Link to the Media Negotiating the Journalist–Activist Divide #MeToo in Indonesia National Days of Action Bills to Address Violence Coalitions Social Media Research Methodology Stories of Individual Female Digital Content Producers and Their Gender Activism Hera, Editor of Magdalene.co Digital Media and Feminist Activism Journalists, Not Activists Media Campaigns Luviana, Journalist, Editor, Cofounder, and Chief Editor of Konde.co Journalism, Activism, and Democratic Spaces Activism Through Journalism: Collaboration Beyond Digital Campaigns House of the Unsilenced Campaigns Discussion Conclusion References Part II: Latin America Chapter 3: #NiUnaMenos: The Story of a Tweet That Revolutionized Feminism and Changed How Media Covers Violence Against Women in Argentina Introduction Purpose of This Study Addressing Femicide in Argentina The Global South Context of Argentina Argentines as Pioneers: Historical Role of Women in Politics Femicide as a Global Issue Framing of Femicides in the News Research Methodology Coding Instrument Coder Training and Intercoder Reliability Variables Sources Frames Tone Statistical Analysis Argentinean Press Coverage of Femicides Framing the Stories Sourcing the Stories Discussion Conclusion Limitations of the Research References Chapter 4: The Judge and the Influencer: Race, Gender, and Class in Brazilian News Coverage of Violence Against Women Introduction The Global South Context of Brazil Legal Framework to Address Violence Against Women Brazilian Feminist Movements Research Focusing on Violence Against Women from an Interdisciplinary Perspective News Media Focusing on Violence Against Women Reporting on Violence Against Women in the Brazilian Media Case Study: The Judge and the Influencer Hierarchy of Influences Model Framing Theory Applying Frameworks to the Brazilian Media Context Research Methodology Case Study 1: Judge Viviane Vieira do Amaral Case Study 2: Social Media Influencer, Bruna Quirino Findings News Frames for Case 1 (White Judge, Viviane Vieira do Amaral) No Woman Is Safe, Despite Social Status and Color Femicide is Unacceptable The Crime Was Planned Power and Money News Frames of Case 2 (Black Social Media Influencer, Bruna Quirino) The Color of Femicide Is Black Independent Black Woman Awakens a Man’s Blind Rage A Crime Without Clear Motive Power and Money Discussion Impact of News Frames About Violence Against Women Pandemic Spaces (Public Versus Private) Race and Gender Privilege Versus Influence Misogyny and Inconsistent News Narratives Domination of News Sources Conclusion Limitations of This Research References Chapter 5: Moving Beyond the Protest Paradigm?: News Coverage of International Women’s Day Marches in Mexico Introduction Mexico in the Context of the Global South A Rationale for Examining Mexican News Coverage of Violence Against Women Mexico in the Context of Violence Against Women Waves of Feminist Protests #MeToo Inspiration to Address Violence Against Women A Day Without Women’s Protests Studies Focusing on the News Coverage of Feminist Movements in Mexico Theorizing News Coverage of Protests Framing and Qualitative Content Analysis as a Methodology Methods for Analyzing News Coverage of Feminist Movements in Mexico Exploratory Analysis: News Coverage of Women’s Marches, 2018–2020 Evolution of Topics in the News Narrative Tone, Sources, and Framing of the Protests Tone of the News Media Toward Demonstrations Source Selection and Predominant Voices Frames A Paradigm Shift, or Too Early to Tell? Conclusion Suggestions for Future Research Appendices References Part III: Sub-Saharan Africa Chapter 6: Reporting on Rape Culture in Sub-Saharan Africa During the #MeToo Era Introduction Context of This Study Rape Culture Rape Myths Media Coverage of the Rape Culture Anti-rape Culture, Digital Activism, and Media Coverage Current Study Research Methodology Findings Rape Culture Narratives Fabricated Lies for Political and Religious Persecution Don’t Rape “Another Man’s Wife” Victims ‘Rape Is Bad ... But Think about the Church’ Anti-rape Culture Believing and Supporting Victims #ChurchToo Religious Discourse Political Discourse Acknowledging Power Discussion Limitations and Future Research Conclusion References Part IV: North Africa and the Middle East Chapter 7: Egypt’s #MeToo Moment: Using Social Media to Help Address Violence Against Women in Egypt Introduction Theoretical Framework: Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory Research Methodology Embedded in a Global South Context Research Methods and Case Studies Role of Social Media and the Diffusion of Innovations in Curbing Violence Against Women in Egypt Establishing a Violence Against Women Unit Feminist and NGOs Initiatives Social Media Campaigns Smartphone Applications Other Initiatives to Address Violence Against Women After the January 25, 2011, Revolution Legal Limitations in Addressing Violence Against Women in Egypt Social Media as a Method for Confronting Violence Against Women Social Media Diffusion and Combating Violence Against Women in Egypt: Two Cases Case 1: Daftar Hekayat El Mudawana # دفتر_حكايات_المدونة Case 2: The Case of Ahmed Bassam Zaki Conclusion References Chapter 8: Online Activism in Contexts of War: Is There a #MeToo Echo in Libya, Syria, and Yemen? Introduction Conditions for Women’s Movements and Collective Action Over Time Social Change in the MENA Region Global Violence Against Women and the Middle East and North Africa Region Framework for the Study Online Activity and Activism Research Methodology: Context, Study Rationale, and Procedure Social Media and #MeToo Accounts for Libya, Syria, and Yemen #MeToo and Twitter in Libya, Syria, and Yemen Syria Libya Yemen #MeToo on Facebook for Libya, Syria, and Yemen #MeToo-like Hashtags on Social Media in Arabic Libya, Syria, and Yemen: #MeToo on YouTube, Instagram, and Google News Conclusion Limitations of the Research Suggestions for Future Research References Chapter 9: Shifting the News Narrative About Violence Against Women in the Global South Introduction Key Findings of the Collection Southeast Asia: Addressing Violence Against Women Through Alternative Media and Gender Activism Latin America: Feminist Hashtag Movements Address Femicide and Feminicide Sub-Saharan Africa: Considering the Rape Culture Narrative in Mainstream Media The Middle East and North Africa Region: Social Media Gives a Voice to Female Survivors Addressing the Aims of the Collection 1. Intersectional Lens in #MeToo-Related Reporting 2. Multidisciplinary and Multifaceted Methodologies Research Methodologies Multidisciplinary, Theoretical Frameworks 3. Solutions Journalism in the Global South: Can It Work? Shifts in Reporting About Violence Against Women in the Global South Need for Support and Guidelines to Report on Violence Against Women in the Global South The #MeToo Era COVID-19 Era Other Education and Training Programs Conclusion: Ontologies of Media Reporting of Violence Against Women the Global South Suggestions for Future Research Rise of Extremism and Misinformation References Index