Abstract:
Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases continue to be on the rise in Kenya and globally. This has necessitated enhanced advocacy efforts which have traditionally largely relied on mainstream media. The advent of social media and its widespread adoption has led to an increasing preference for social media as an advocacy tool. This study therefore sought to establish the role of social media as an advocacy tool for gender-based violence among women in Nairobi County, Kenya. The specific objectives were (1) to identify the platforms currently being used by GBV advocacy groups, and (2) to establish the relationships between the independent variables - perceived ease of use of social media, perceived impact, and perceived usefulness/effectiveness; and the dependent variable – GBV advocacy. The study was guided by the Dragonfly Effect model. The target population was 46 respondents experienced in GBV advocacy through social media. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and data saturation was achieved after the 9th interview. Analysis of data was conducted using NVIVO version 12 statistical software. The emerging themes were; Ability to reach a wide audience within a short time, ease of interaction with audience and quick feedback, availability and flexibility of social media, cost-effectiveness, ease of accessibility, enabling prompt reporting and action on GBV cases, and increased visibility and networking with like-minded organizations. The study concludes that Facebook is ideal and impactful in GBV advocacy and recommends that GBV advocacy groups including the Government and NGOs should adopt social media to enhance their advocacy efforts.
