An Rra of visible Hijabis: the gendered surveillance of Muslim women influencers on Instagram

Abstract

The research argues that online public spheres have been characterised by masculine hegemonies, and women are reminded through violence that they do not belong. When Muslim women use social media, the response is that they should not expect reasonable privacy or protection against harassment and violence in a ‘public space’. At the contours of control, Muslim women are made visible while shamed for being visible. This research investigates the implications of social and data surveillance and scrutiny of African Muslim Influencers online. By bringing together the strategies Muslim women use to navigate and resist control online, the research addresses gendered implications of surveillance, and the importance of regrounding technology in social context, embodiment, and place.