A new study named “Netnography of Women´s Cyberactivism Against Environmental Denialism on Instagram” written by our researcher Jordi Bonet-Martí, alongside with Cibele Dametto explores how Brazilian women are using Instagram to push back against environmental denialism during periods of political polarization. Through a detailed netnographic analysis of digital narratives posted during the 2022 Brazilian elections, the research uncovers the strategic and affective dimensions of environmental cyberactivism led by women.
The study focuses on a critical intersection—gender, environmental activism, and digital platforms—within one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be an environmental activist. Brazil’s rising climate denialism, increasing deforestation, and political hostility toward activism form the backdrop for this digital resistance.
The authors analyzed Instagram posts made by women activists between August and October 2022, identifying five main strategies used to challenge climate misinformation and denialism:
- Value Expression
- Emotional Expression
- Reasoned Argumentation
- Collective Action
- Community Building
These strategies map onto four interrelated dimensions—individual, collective, subjective, and objective—allowing activists to create meaning, mobilize communities, and foster identification through shared values and lived experiences.
Importantly, the activists studied reflect a diversity of identities—Black, Indigenous, feminist—and embody a form of intersectional activism that is both political and deeply personal. Their activism challenges dominant narratives by blending feminist environmentalism with digital storytelling and visual culture.
Instagram, with its 119 million users in Brazil (55.6% of the population), emerges as a powerful arena for feminist environmental discourse. Despite constraints—such as ethical limits on demographic data and the lack of access to private content—the study provides unique insights into the growing relevance of women-led digital activism in shaping public debate.
Key contributions include:
- Revealing how digital platforms allow for the routinization of activism, where sustained online engagement builds long-term movements.
- Highlighting how intersectionality informs activist identities and enriches narrative strategies.
- Demonstrating how digital narratives foster emotional and political resonance with followers, creating spaces for collective meaning-making.
The findings have implications far beyond Brazil. As environmental denialism spreads globally and political hostility to activism increases, this research offers a model for how gendered, grassroots resistance can flourish online—even under threat.
Ultimately, this study adds to a growing body of literature on cyberactivism by foregrounding women’s voices in the climate conversation and underlining the power of digital platforms to cultivate both resistance and resilience in the face of environmental and political crises.
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