"I HAVE STOPPED CARING IF I SHOULD THINK BEFORE POSTING ONLINE": JOURNEY OF INDIAN WOMEN TO DIGITAL ACTIVISM AGAINST SEXUAL VIOLENCE

Abstract

Indian women activists are increasingly integrating digital strategies in their fight against the burning issue of sexual violence. Their digital strategies help them navigate the Indian socio-digital landscape, which is an extension of the sociocultural context they live in. There are limited studies in the area of digital feminist activism emerging from the Global South, especially from the context of post-colonial India. There is a concerning gap in the literature on this topic when it comes to understanding the factors that shape women's digital activism against sexual violence. Therefore while addressing this gap, this paper investigates digital activism by Indian women against sexual violence under the overarching question of; what are the rhetorical practices of digital feminist protest by Indian women activists against sexual violence? Anchored in the framework of postcolonial feminism, I examine the journey of the local Indian women to digital activism; to understand their motivation and access to digital technology. My interviews with 20 Indian women activists from diverse backgrounds within the Indian landscape reveal the factors that shape their journey to digital activism. This paper contributes to understanding the role class, status, and geographical location play in women's journey to digital activism against sexual violence, within a post-colonial Global South country as India.