Abstract

Social media advocacy has emerged as a critical mechanism for influencing policy, particularly regarding gender-based violence (GBV) legislation. This study quantitatively examined the relationship between social media campaign intensity and legislative responsiveness in 12 African states from 2019 to 2021. Data were collected on 1,450 advocacy-legislation observations, capturing metrics such as hashtag frequency, user engagement, and cross-platform diffusion, alongside legislative outcomes including new bills, amendments, and oversight mechanisms. Multiple linear regression with interaction terms was employed to assess the effect of advocacy intensity, internet penetration, civil society density, GDP per capita, and baseline legislation on policy responsiveness. Results indicated that social media advocacy significantly predicted legislative action (β = 0.253, p < 0.001), with stronger effects in states with higher internet access and robust civil society networks. Subcomponent analyses confirmed that advocacy most strongly influenced the introduction of new bills. These findings support Agenda-Setting Theory and the Advocacy Coalition Framework, demonstrating that social media functions both to elevate issue salience and to facilitate coordinated advocacy networks. The study concluded that online activism, when coupled with structural and institutional enablers, constitutes a powerful pathway for advancing GBV legislation, providing actionable insights for policymakers, civil society organizations, and development practitioners seeking to leverage digital platforms for gender justice.