Women, Antifeminism, and Platforms: The Discourses of Misogyny| Insta-Hate Toward Female Political Leaders: Six Case Studies From Instagram

Abstract

Online hate is spreading rapidly across social networks and has become a growing concern in academic circles. Among various forms of hate speech, online misogyny specifically targets female users. This article investigates online hate speech toward high-profile female political leaders, examining manifestations of misogyny and identifying patterns in its expression. This study uses content analysis to identify hate speech (19 parameters) and misogyny (11 parameters) on the Instagram profiles of 6 female politicians across Argentina, France, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, and the United States. The results reveal that hate speech is present in all posts of female politicians profiles analyzed in this research. Approximately 7% of the 4,200 comments analyzed exhibit elements of hatred, often conveyed through political ideology, irony, criticisms, contempt, and insults. Misogyny is also observed in the comments, primarily expressed through profanity, stereotypes, objectification, and discredit. These data not only illuminate the existing patterns of hate speech and misogyny toward female politicians on Instagram but also provide a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics at play.