Discursive Representations of Gender-Based Violence, Feminist and Anti-feminist on Nairaland: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

Gender-based violence (GBV) and feminism are sensitive topic in Nigeria’s online public debates, yet the grassroots digital conversations in which such issues are contested remain comparatively understudied. This study investigated the discursive representation of gender-based issues on Nairaland, a major Nigerian online discussion platform, identified major discursive patterns using van Dijk’s socio-cognitive model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Lazar’s feminist CDA. The study employed a qualitative case study design. All publicly accessible threads on GBV, feminist and anti-feminist posted in 2024 were purposively selected with special focus on their relevance, participation and ethical attainability and were subjected to systematic coding and multi-level critical discourse analysis. The findings showed that GBV discourse was structured around competing claims of victimhood… a perceived neglect of male suffering relative to attention directed toward female victims while derailment, ad hominem attacks, pathologizing, victim-blaming and minimization were observed across threads. Feminist discourse is subject to severe boundary policing, with a "moderate" feminism defined against a delegitimized radical, while anti-feminist contributors emphasize patriarchal ideologies using ridicule, gender insults and appeals to tradition. In conclusion, the sampled Nairaland threads constitute a contested discursive space in which patriarchal gender ideologies are both reproduced and challenged. The study recommends gender advocacy, policy involvement and engagements with online public discourse.