Establishing networked misogyny as a counter movement: The analysis of the online anti-Istanbul convention presence

Abstract

We now live in an age of unhidden gender wars where direct violence occurs within online and offline spaces. These online spaces on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram become venues for attacks on gender and woman’s rights, as well as its intersection with race and ethnicity. Such online hate expressions and networked harassments channelled towards women provide clues for us, social scientists, to understand the underlying dynamics/nature of misogyny. In this paper, by studying the online misogynistic narratives developed around the Istanbul Convention as a counter movement, I aim to highpoint the conservative and polarizing discourses that frames gender-based violence as acceptable in Turkey. More specifically I show how Twitter can be used as a platform for anti-feminist and misogynistic groups, aiming violence and hostility directly at women and their rights. As these tweets illustrate, the right-wing populist and anti-gender discourses and conservative and authoritarian politics, are being implemented on many fronts and social media is one of them.

Online disclosure, a mechanism for seeking informal justice?

“…We chose not to advertise our study publicly and did not create an open call for study participation because we anticipated the risk of finding ourselves as targets of trolling and backlash attacks. Our concern was based on the increasing ‘anti-feminist resistance’ in Turkey in the recent years, especially issues around the Istanbul Convention and women’s rights (Eslen-Ziya, 2022). Although this limited our chances to reach out to more women and, thus, restricted the generalisability of our findings, due to the rich and diverse content of the interviews, we still consider our data adequate to make meaningful contributions in relation to our research goals.…”

“…In addition, social media becomes a tool of conservative groups in showing their support for discriminatory policies and practices, spreading their messages, and suppressing the voices of marginalised individuals and groups. A very recent study, for instance, examining the widespread online counter-activism in Turkey, demonstrates how social media becomes an important tool for anti-feminist groups in channelling their hate and hostility towards feminists and LGBTIQ+ communities, and how their discourses are used by the state for anti-democratic aims (Eslen-Ziya, 2022).…”

“…We also situate our research into the scant literature on digital feminist activism in Turkey (i.e. Eslen-Ziya, 2013, 2022; Göker, 2019; Ogan and Baş, 2020; Şener, 2021; Şen and Kök , 2017) and aim to contribute to this literature by looking at survivors’ experiences of online disclosure and justice. Considering the widespread systemic and structural barriers to safety and justice (Ekal, 2017; Yalcinoz-Ucan, 2022) – mainly unresponsiveness by the police, inefficient and problematic criminal justice system responses, and inaccessibility of formal supports – we consider that online ways of seeking support and demand justice may become critical for survivors.…”

Under the Shadow of Culture and Politics: Understanding LGBTQ Social Media Activists’ Perceptions, Concerns, and Strategies

“…Moreover, media misrepresentation and the government’s anti-LGBTQ rhetoric intensify these challenges. For example, Eslen-Ziya (2022) demonstrated how anti-gender groups used social media platforms to threaten women and LGBTQ individuals online in Turkey. She argued that while social media platforms provide a space for these groups, they also offer a space for anti-feminist groups to portray the LGBTQ movement as a threat to Turkish cultural norms and the Turkish family (Eslen-Ziya, 2022).…”

“…For example, Eslen-Ziya (2022) demonstrated how anti-gender groups used social media platforms to threaten women and LGBTQ individuals online in Turkey. She argued that while social media platforms provide a space for these groups, they also offer a space for anti-feminist groups to portray the LGBTQ movement as a threat to Turkish cultural norms and the Turkish family (Eslen-Ziya, 2022). Similarly, a recent study found that social media activists in Turkey experience transmit-trap dynamics, where they are both empowered by and targeted within social media platforms (Parks et al, 2017).…”