Whose Story Is It Anyway? Hashtag Campaigns and Digital Abortion Storytelling

Abstract

Abortion storytelling sets out to achieve many things, but outcomes desired by storytellers themselves can be loosely categorised into three areas: personal catharsis or mental well-being; connection with others for collective empowerment; and destigmatisation across the wider population. This chapter explores the efficacy of digital storytelling through hashtag campaigns in achieving each of these goals, weighed against the risks of on- and offline abuse, harassment, and violence. Examples from five campaigns in three countries are used to help illustrate these obstacles—#ihadanabortion (2011), #shoutyourabortion (2016), and #youknowme (2019) in the United States, #twowomentravel (2017) in Ireland, and #precisamosfalarsobreaborto (2014) in Brazil.