Indian women activists are increasingly integrating digital strategies in their fight against the burning issue of sexual violence. This thesis aims to understand how their digital activism against sexual violence and harassment unravels in the context of India. It is based on a conceptual framework informed by post-colonial feminism, intersectionality and digital feminist labour to understand the convergence of gender biases and the power divide in India. Studies on digital activism by women against sexual violence, though limited and largely centered on the Global North, provide insights into digital theatrics (Baer, 2016), digital labour and social media strategies (Mendes et al.,2019; Linabary et al.,2022). Representing the Global South, the existing studies with a focus on India highlight the role of social media, associated risk and labour (Pain, 2021) and the performative aspect of online activism (Lieder, 2018; Fuller, 2019), in a post-colonial setting. Yet, there is a gap when it comes to understanding the chosen digital strategies by women activists, what shapes their digital strategies in a sociocultural framework marked by the digital and power divide.

The data collection was done by conducting online semi-structured interviews with 19 local Indian women from diverse backgrounds and locations. The thesis has three robust empirical chapters. I find the journey of activists to digital activism is shaped mainly by their motivation to protest and how they access the digital resources, based on their positionality and intersection of number contextual factors. This thesis also shows how stealth and creating a digital safe[r] space a crucial digital strategy of women’s digital activism in India against sexual violence and harassment. Based on the findings, I present the framework of careful activism to capture the intersection of caution and care in their activism. This framework is important to understand strategies unique to activists vulnerable to multiple intersecting marginalisations.