“A Shameless Ideology of Shameless Women”: Positioning the Other in Social Media Discourse Surrounding a Women’s Rights Movement in Pakistan

Abstract

This study analyzes social media (YouTube) discourse related to Aurat March 2019, a women’s rights movement in Pakistan. Using a discourse analytical approach that draws on the premises of Positioning theory, the analysis reveals the following two major storylines from the data: “The women who stray from the path, and the men who will return them to it,” and “Islam under threat from the outside.” Social media platforms allow their users to express opinions in online spaces, often resulting in polarization and clustering of like-minded people in so-called echo-chambers. This study demonstrates how social media users actively participate in the discursive construction of the “other,” and how the women’s rights movement in Pakistan continues to struggle against hegemonic scripts of gender and sexuality.

Assessing Women's Rights in Pakistan: An Analysis of Legal & Social Challenges with Potential Solutions

“…The study is significant globally, as it will provide insights into women's rights in Pakistan, a country facing a range of challenges in this area (Reilly, 2019). The study findings will interest many stakeholders, including policymakers, advocates, and the international community (Sadaf & Siitonen, 2022).…”

“…For example, the ratification of CEDAW by a country can serve as a catalyst for legal and policy reforms at the national level that helps to promote and protect the rights of women. International agreements can also raise awareness of women's rights and promote a global discourse on these issues (Sadaf & Siitonen, 2022;Weiss, 2003). In winding up, international legislation plays an essential role in advancing women's rights and promoting gender equality globally.…”

“…Women's rights have been a topic of significant interest and concern for many years, domestically and internationally. Despite numerous advancements and improvements in recent years, women still face challenges and barriers regarding realizing their rights and achieving equality (Sadaf & Siitonen, 2022). It is particularly true in many developing countries, where cultural and social norms and economic and political factors can combine to create significant obstacles for women (Bhatti, Hussain, & Salman, 2022;A.…”

“…Khan et al, 2021). However, despite its strength, it is also a country where women continue to face significant challenges in realizing their rights (Sadaf & Siitonen, 2022). It is due to a variety of factors, including cultural and social norms, as well as economic and political factors (Orsola Torrisi, 2022).…”

The subsequent effects of negative emotions: from brand hate to anti-brand consumption behavior under moderating mechanisms

“…The positioning theory is a valuable tool for understanding the dynamics of othering on social media, particularly in terms of how users establish the self and the "other" through ordinary discourse (Sadaf and Siitonen, 2022). The authors used the positioning theory, which is concerned with "how people use words (and discourses of all kinds) to place themselves and others" (Moghaddam and Harr e, 2010, p. 2).…”