Comment & analysis

Freedom to abuse – choices in the African Blogosphere

Sokari Ekine

2006-03-15, Issue 246

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/32742

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The phenomenon of blogging has exploded globally, with the new medium being hailed for its ability to democratise the global conversation. But that doesn’t mean the blogosphere doesn’t reflect existing prejudices within society. Sokari Ekine explores the more sinister side of the blogoshpere, focusing specifically on the abuse of women.


Last weekend the number of blogs topped the 30 million mark, according to the UK Guardian technology section. In it’s leader entitled “In Praise of the Blogosphere” it suggested that blogging “is graduating from being a minority sport to a mainstream activity”. It listed three factors that had led to this huge spate in the growth of blogs: the ease of setting one up; the functionality of blogs that has grown to include video and audio clips plus a wide range of social networking features, particularly the use of “tags” for sharing music, bookmarks, books and photos; and most importantly that “they are becoming politically and socially important as like-minded people around the world share thoughts and pictures and call decision-makers to task”.

The article, like most on blogging, presents a scene of harmony and freedom of speech as the economic and technological barriers to publishing are removed, enabling the democratic grassroots media (New Media Musing) to speak out as they choose.

Other articles on the blogosphere are written in a similar vein, using phrases like “citizens media revolution” (Our Media) “social media”, “grassroots media”, “mavericks of the online world” and so on. Having blogged for two years I cherish the technology that enables me to say what I like and how I like. I do not have to consider editorial constraints or advertising interests. The only standards I have to adhere to are my own. I am free as the wind to speak as I wish.

But there is a dark side to the blogosphere. As Rebecca Blood writes:

“The weblog's greatest strength - its uncensored, unmediated, uncontrolled voice - is also its greatest weakness…”

She argues that the editorial and adverting constraints on the mainstream media ensure that ethical standards are maintained. However, the lack of constraints on blogs, which at the same time make them so vibrant, compromises their integrity and therefore their value.

But blogging is not just about writing. It is also about the interaction between the writer and the readers. The writer is exhibiting their ego and the reader is engaging in overt voyeurism. We bloggers know when someone has been to our blogs, how long they spend there and what they read. After all that is why we are writing. We created our online identities so others would take a look and watch and try to discover through our words who we are and what we think.

The African blogosphere is one sphere that has seen a huge growth of new blogs in the past 6 months. For example in Nigeria the number of blogs has trebled in the last 9 months and each month new blogs are being created. The majority of African bloggers are still men, although the number of women is slowly increasing. African blogs tend to fall into three loose categories. First, journals or diary blogs, topic specific blogs such as technology or music blogs, and current affairs and political blogs with commentary.

The African blogosphere is no more homogenous than Africa itself. Each blogosphere tends to have it’s own characteristic such as more conversations between bloggers or less topic specific blogs and more commentary and so on. For example the Nigerian blogosphere tends to be equally divided between all three blog types but with more women writing journal and diary type blogs than men. Some countries are not as developed as others. The Ethiopian blogosphere, though relatively quite small, is very active and dominated by political commentary blogs. Kenya is the largest, followed closely by Nigeria.

Recently Nigeria in particular, has become the sight of much intolerance expressed through homophobia and misogyny. The abuse of women has been particularly disturbing. Comments have been left on womens’ blogs and posts, written using misogynist language against women and lesbians.

This is not to say that there is anything objectionable about someone expressing opinions against homosexuality whether via a comment or through a post on a blog. However these are not simply rational comments. The comments and posts are personalised and the language used is derogatory and misogynist, such as “lesbos need a dick whipping”, “bitches” and “menopausal bitches”. In some instances individual women have been stalked and intimidated even as far as names being revealed. Whilst individuals are entitled to their opinions, when the conversation degenerates into offensive hate speech advocating violence against women and homosexuals, this is not acceptable.

Because people see the blogosphere as a space where they can express themselves freely and often anonymously, they feel they do not have to adhere to the constraints in speech that they would in the non-cyber world. These issues become more apparent as the number of blogs grow and as people from different backgrounds and countries are brought together in one huge global blogosphere. At any one time there are thousands of conversations taking place.

People who would not normally have contact with each other whether because of geographical space or just personal preference now have the possibility of sharing conversations. The blogosphere reflects the non-cyber world in that the lack of shared values, ideological consensus and cultural differences amongst people can and does result in conflicts and confrontations between groups and individuals on their blogs. Thus the dichotomies of gender – male and female; sexual preference be it heterosexual and homosexual; geographical location; Africa the homeland and Africa the Diaspora; African and non-African - all have the possibility of being exacerbated because except in the case of gender these pairs are not often thrown together within the same space.

With specific reference to Nigeria and other African countries, women are being abused when they do not conform to certain types of behaviour. The emerging female voice on the Nigerian blogosphere is often in contrast to the prescribed gender roles in Nigeria that do not threaten existing patriarchal systems. Women can and do use their blogs to “speak” out against male oppression in ways they may not do in their daily lives. Blogging anonymously they feel free to express their aspirations for a different Nigeria where women are not subservient to male domination. Many men find this problematic and feel they are loosing control and power over women. Their response is to use misogynist and homophobic language to berate and intimidate the women who speak out.

Women in the Diaspora are exposed to a more sexually open environment and one where sexism and homophobia are not so socially acceptable. This is a further challenge for men in the “homeland” who may resent and fear this freedom because it may influence “their” women at home. It is common to berate those living abroad as having lost their cultural traditions and become soiled by western society which is viewed as being morally inferior. As I mentioned earlier the blogosphere provides people with the opportunity to develop an exaggerated ego and to engage in voyeurism.

The sexual nature of the comments left by some men on blogs indicate the sexualisation of this voyeurism. Young men are able to feed each other’s ego and sexuality by egging one another on as they publicly engage in “male” chat about women, much of which includes the use of misogynist language. Some women also participate in these “conversations”, cheering the men on as they act out their “machoness” and collude in the abuse of their sisters.

It needs to be said that the numbers of men engaging in abusive behaviour is relatively small. In fact a number of male bloggers have themselves been very outspoken against the abuse of women, whether in the blogosphere or in the non-cyber world, but there are still many who though not participating in abuse are silent. Despite the abuse, women are determined to continue blogging, to expose misogyny where it exists, and to find ways of supporting each other just as they have always done and continue to do so offline.

The sheer number of blogs and the global nature of the blogosphere allows for the potential exchange of ideas, empathy and tolerance across the numerous dichotomies that exist in an increasingly complex and changing world. For Africa, the rapidly developing blogosphere provides the possibility of bringing about a much-needed alternative and progressive voice and cross continent collaboration through a citizen’s media. It is important that these possibilities are not side tracked or diminished by a few destructive non-progressive elements. African bloggers of today are pioneers and as such it is the duty of all of us to create a blogging environment where women are free to express themselves without fear.

* Sokari Ekine produces the blog Black Looks, http://okrasoup.typepad.com/black_looks

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

Sources:

Guardian Technology:
http://browse.guardian.co.uk/search?site=Technology&search=blogging

Rebecca’s Pocket (Weblog Ethics) (http://www.rebeccablood.net/handbook/excerpts/weblog_ethics.html)

Our Media
http://www.ourmedia.org/node/729

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