Role of social media in developing women in Nairobi–Kenya : a field study in social anthropology

Abstract EN

Social media platforms have become a robust tool in our daily life communications.

During the last two decades, digital media’s role has expanded to become an effective medium in women’s development through boosting the economic, social and political status of women in Nairobi, Kenya.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs’) have been utilizing social media in advocacy campaigns demanding women’s equality and enhancing women/ girl’s participation in private and public space.

This dissertation seeks to identify the effective role of social media used by NGOs both on the national and international scale in the development of women’s social status.

The study signifies the crucial role of social media campaigns in advocating for gender equality through drawing national and international attention on the new role and eligible rights of women in Kenya.

The study uses NGOs’ social media as cases studies to illustrate how diversified platforms have become an integrated development strategy inside each NGO seeking the development of women through various programs and activates.

In addition to emerged social media campaigns models in Kenya on forms of violence against women (VAW), rape and harassment aiming to change the negative stigmas on women’s as wives and mothers for child breeding and responsible for household duties.

Although social media campaigns have shown a huge boost in changing women’s perspective; yet Kenya’s patriarchal social system, male domination, inactive laws, and sociocultural stigmas, hinders women’s socioeconomic progress and development.

Women’s’ development demands more attention from the government in asserting women equality.