Women and nature: Ecofeminist study in social media [version 2; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]

Background This research examines how ecofeminist themes are presented and shared on digital platforms. It focuses on three widely used social media networks, namely YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook to explore how their features, such as videos, reels, posts, and images, convey ecofeminist ideas and principles in online spaces. Methods We have adopted a purposive, qualitative, and thematic analysis method. Data have been manually collected from the selected social media platforms using keywords like “ecofeminism” and “women and nature.” Content has been selected based on thematic relevance. Only publicly available materials have been used. Results Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook each contributes uniquely to the ecofeminist discourse by offering visually engaging reels and images, academic and artistic content, and select group and page-based advocacy, respectively. Through various digital entities such as groups, pages, reels, videos, and pictures, many social media accounts vividly demonstrate the close relationship between women and nature, the exploitation they face from patriarchal society and how they can be protected. Despite this vivid portrayal, the content across platforms remains scattered and inconsistent. Conclusion The study highlights both the potential and the limitations of social media in presenting ecofeminist narrative. It emphasizes the need for consistent and dedicated efforts to promote ecofeminist values online. The study adds to the fields of ecofeminism and media studies by showing how online content can reflect, support, and shape ecofeminist thinking today.