The Role of Social Media in Raising Awareness about Preventing Violence against Women in Jordan

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35516/Hum.2026.8743

Keywords:

Social media, violence against women, awareness, Jordanian women

Abstract

Objectives: Gender-based violence (GBV) is a pervasive global issue requiring immediate attention. Social media platforms have emerged as powerful tools in combating this violence by providing avenues for support, advocacy, and awareness. This study highlights the role of social media in raising awareness about violence against women, aiming to explore its impact and contribution to understanding and addressing this pressing issue.

Methods: A qualitative approach was adopted, utilizing in-depth interviews with 13 participants, including activists, advocates, writers, and researchers focused on violence against women. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.

Results The results indicate that social media plays a critical role in increasing awareness about violence against women. However, societal values pose significant challenges for activists addressing this issue. The study underscores the importance of social media in empowering individuals and organizations to share personal stories and disseminate information about GBV. It also provides valuable insights for policymakers and organizations to design initiatives and workshops aimed at reducing violence against women.

Conclusion: Social media serves as a platform for survivors to share their stories and seek support. Campaigns on these platforms foster a sense of community responsibility by raising public awareness, challenging societal norms, and promoting discussions on GBV, ultimately contributing to societal change.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abujilban, S., AbuAbed, A. A., Mrayan, L., Nashwan, A. J., Al‐Modallal, H., Damra, J., ... & Hamaideh, S. (2023). Pregnant women's experiences with intimate partner violence one year after the COVID‐19 pandemic in Jordan. Nursing Open, 10(7), 4286-4297. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.1669

Arias, E. (2019). How does media influence social norms? Experimental evidence on the role of common knowledge. Political Science Research and Methods, 7(3), 561-578. https://doi.org/10.1017/psrm.2018.1

Babbie, E.R. (2002). Benaquisto, L. Fundamentals of Social Research; Scarborough: Toronto, ON, Canada, 2002.

Banerjee, A., La Ferrara, E., & Orozco, V. (2019). Entertainment, education, and attitudes toward domestic violence. In AEA Papers and Proceedings (Vol. 109, pp. 133-137). 2014 Broadway, Suite 305, Nashville, TN 37203: American Economic Association. https://doi.org/10.1257/pandp.20191073

Bas, O., Ogan, C. L., & Varol, O. (2022). The role of legacy media and social media in increasing public engagement about violence against women in Turkey. Social Media+ Society, 8(4), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051221138939

Charmaz, K. (2001). Grounded Theory: Methodology and Theory Construction A2-Wright, James D. In International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (pp. 402-407).

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2005). Mixed methods research: Developments, debates, and dilemmas. Research in Organizations: Foundations and Methods of Inquiry, 2, 315-326.

Dahlberg, L. L., & Krug, E. G. (2006). Violence as a global public health problem. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, 11(2), 277-292.

Duche-Pérez, A. B., Plata, A. M. R., Gutierrez-Aguilar, O., Grundy-López, R. E., Valdivia-Loaiza, A. H., & Vera-Revilla, C. Y. (2023). Gender violence against women in social networks. Migration Letters, 20(S2), 993-1007.

ElSherief, M., Belding, E., & Nguyen, D. (2017, May). #NotOkay: Understanding gender-based violence in social media. In Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media (Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 52-61).

Eneizat, M. F., Halim, H., & Dalib, S. (2023a). Determinants of violent behavior among Jordanian adolescents: The propositions. SEARCH Journal of Media and Communication Research, 45-58.

Eneizat, M. F., Halim, H., & Dalib, S. (2023b). Moderating effect of gender and socioeconomic status on the relationship between media exposure and violent behavior. Media Literacy and Academic Research, 6(1), 155-173. https://doi.org/10.34135/mlar-23-01-09

Eneizat, M. F., Halim, H., & Dalib, S. (2023c). Effects of media exposure and family communication on violent behavior of Jordanian adolescents. In International Conference on Communication and Media 2022 (i-COME 2022) (pp. 31-43). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-098-5_4

Eneizat, M., Alrababah, O., & Alnawafah, M. (2024). The mediating role of normative beliefs about aggression on the relationship between violent digital games and students’ aggressive behavior. Journal of Intercultural Communication. https://doi.org/10.36923/jicc.v24i3.800

Fairbairn, J. (2020). Before #MeToo: Violence against women social media work, bystander intervention, and social change. Societies, 10(3), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc10030051

Fileborn, B., & Loney-Howes, R. (2020). Using social media to resist gender violence: A global perspective. In E. Erez & P. Ibarra (Eds.), Oxford Research Encyclopedias: Criminology and Criminal Justice (1st ed.). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264079.013.613

Gilmore, J. (2019). Fixed It. Random House Australia, New York: Penguin Random House.

Green, D. P., Wilke, A. M., & Cooper, J. (2020). Countering violence against women by encouraging disclosure: A mass media experiment in rural Uganda. Comparative Political Studies, 53(14), 2283-2320. https://doi.org/10.1177/0010414020912275

Green, D. P., Wilke, A., Cooper, J., & Baltes, S. (2016). Can media shape social norms? A randomized experiment assessing portrayals of domestic violence, abortion, and teacher absenteeism in rural Uganda. In EGAP Conference, New Haven, CT, October (pp. 14-15).

Heise, L., & Manji, K. (2016). Social Norms. GSDRC Professional Development Reading Pack No. 31. Birmingham, UK: University of Birmingham.

Husami, A. A. (2024, January 30). FACTS: Jordan's online scene: 2023. Makana360. https://www.makana360.com/en/jordan-online-internet-2023/

Jensen, R., & Oster, E. (2009). The power of TV: Cable television and women's status in India. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 124(3), 1057-1094. https://doi.org/10.1162/qjec.2009.124.3.1057

Jewkes, R., Flood, M., & Lang, J. (2015). From work with men and boys to changes of social norms and reduction of inequities in gender relations: A conceptual shift in prevention of violence against women and girls. The Lancet, 385(9977), 1580-1589.

Jewkes, R., Stern, E., & Ramsoomar, L. (2019). Community activism approaches to shift harmful gender attitudes, roles and social norms. Preventing violence against women and girls Evidence Review.

Jewkes, R., Willan, S., Heise, L., Washington, L., Shai, N., Kerr-Wilson, A., & Christofides, N. (2020). Effective design and implementation elements in interventions to prevent violence against women and girls. What Works to Prevent VAWG.

Johnson, H., & Dawson, M. (2010). Violence Against Women in Canada: Research and Policy Perspectives (1st ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Kheirallah, K. A., Alrawashdeh, A., Alsaleh, A., Megdadi, M., Obeidat, S., Elfauri, K. A., ... & Elbarazi, I. (2023). Domestic violence against women in Jordan: Analysis of the demographic and health survey dataset 2017-2018. Journal of Medicine and Life, 16(8), 1264. https://doi.org/10.25122/jml-2023-0111

Kheirallah, K. A., Alrawashdeh, A., Alsaleh, A., Megdadi, M., Obeidat, S., Elfauri, K. A., ... & Elbarazi, I. (2023). Domestic violence against women in Jordan: Analysis of the demographic and health survey dataset 2017-2018. Journal of Medicine and Life, 16(8), 1264-1273.

Letherby, G. (2003). Feminist Research in Theory and Practice. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).

Lokot, T. (2018). #IAmNotAfraidToSayIt: Stories of sexual violence as everyday political speech on Facebook. Information, Communication & Society, 21(6), 802-817. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2018.1430161

Marshall, B., Cardon, P., Poddar, A., & Fontenot, R. (2013). Does sample size matter in qualitative research? A review of qualitative interviews in IS research. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 54(1), 11-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2018.1430161

Mcloughlin, C. (2013). Helpdesk research report: Women’s economic role in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Governance and Social Development Resource Centre, University of Birmingham.

McMahon, S., & Banyard, V. L. (2012). When can I help? A conceptual framework for the prevention of sexual violence through bystander intervention. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 13(1), 3-14. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838011426015

Mendes, K., Ringrose, J., & Keller, J. (2018). #MeToo and the promise and pitfalls of challenging rape culture through digital feminist activism. European Journal of Women's Studies, 25(2), 236-246. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350506818765318

Miller, K., & Demirbilek, M. (2023). The role of social media in the fight against gender violence. In Cyberfeminism and Gender Violence in Social Media (pp. 90-99). IGI Global.

Moshtagh, M., Amiri, R., Sharafi, S., & Arab-Zozani, M. (2023). Intimate partner violence in the Middle East region: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 24(2), 613-631. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380211036060

Oakley, A. (1981). Subject Women. Pantheon Books: New York, NY, USA.

Opie, A. (1992). Qualitative research, appropriation of the ‘other’ and empowerment. Feminist Review, 40(1), 52-69. https://doi.org/10.1057/fr.1992.5

Saqib, M., Shah, S. T. A., Sheikh, S. M., & Mehmood, N. (2023). Assessing the influence of social media on attitudes towards violence against women: A mixed-methods approach. Journal of Asian Development Studies, 12(3), 1422-1432. https://doi.org/10.62345/

Stacey, J. (1988). Can there be a feminist ethnography? In Women's Studies International Forum (Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 21-27). Pergamon. https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-5395(88)90004-0

Sutherland, G., McCormack, A., Easteal, P., Holland, K., & Pirkis, J. (2016). Media guidelines for the responsible reporting of violence against women: A review of evidence and issues. Australian Journalism Review, 38(1), 5-17.

United Nations Secretary-General’s Campaign. (n.d.). UNiTE by 2030 to end violence against women. UNiTE. https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/What%20We%20Do/EVAW/UNiTE-Campaign-Action-Circular-October-November-en.pdf

Welch, M., Fenwick, M., & Roberts, M. (1997). Primary definitions of crime and moral panic: A content analysis of experts' quotes in feature newspaper articles on crime. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 34(4), 474-494. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022427897034004004

World Health Organization. (2012). Understanding and addressing violence against women. Available online: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/77432/WHO_RHR_12.36_eng.pdf

World Health Organization/London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. (2010). Preventing intimate partner and sexual violence against women: Taking action and generating evidence. World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland. Available online: https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/publications/violence/9789241564007_eng.pdf?ua=1

World Health Organization. (2020, July 8). Violence against women. https://www.who.int/health-topics/violence-against-women#tab=tab_1

Downloads

Published

2025-12-01

How to Cite

bani domi, M. khair. (2025). The Role of Social Media in Raising Awareness about Preventing Violence against Women in Jordan. Dirasat: Human and Social Sciences, 53(5). https://doi.org/10.35516/Hum.2026.8743

Issue

Section

Mass Communication
Received 2024-08-15
Accepted 2024-11-24
Published 2025-12-01