“#My Place Isn’t in the Kitchen”: Examining Feminist Facebook Framing of an Algerian Social Movement

Abstract

This study examines the dynamics of a social media campaign launched by Algerian feminists in 2018 in response to a video shared on Facebook that narrated a woman’s upsetting encounter with harassment. This movement occurred in a region often known for its autocratic systems of governance and the prevalence of its Islamic movements rather than for its prominence of feminist advocacy. Yet the Global South and particularly North Africa are actually abundant with women’s rights organizations, a fact often overlooked in both Western scholarship and media. Drawing from social movement theory, this research analyzes how feminists in the Global South strategically presented their narratives on Facebook by employing diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational framing approaches. The findings illuminate that Algerian feminists primarily used two collective action frames in their messaging: diagnostic to increase awareness and prognostic to suggest long-term solutions. Yet motivational framing to empower supporters and give them a rationale to get involved was less prioritized, creating a critical gap in sustaining the movement and turning online grievances into action.