REENA CHEPKORIR2026-03-302026-03-302025-09https://repository.cuea.edu/handle/123456789/599ThesisThis study examined the linguistic patterns and discourse strategies used on Kenyan X (formerly Twitter), focusing on how language shaped, challenged, or reinforced existing societal gender norms. The study was guided by the following objectives: i. To examine the predominant linguistic patterns employed during the #GenderEquality advocacy on X, ii. To explore the discourse strategies employed during the advocacy campaign that influence the framing and perception of gender advocacy and iii. To determine how the linguistic elements used in the gender advocacy campaign shape existing gender norms. While social media platforms have become central to digital activism, the specific linguistic strategies employed in gender-focused advocacy remain underexplored, particularly within the Kenyan context. This study addressed that gap by analysing the role of language in framing gender discourse on digital platforms. The research was anchored in Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), which conceptualized language as both socially constitutive and socially conditioned. It explored how digital discourse not only reflected but also influenced public perceptions of gender equality. A mixed-methods design was adopted, combining quantitative content analysis with qualitative discourse analysis. A purposive sample of 600 tweets from the #GenderEqualityKe campaign was collected using the inbuilt API on X. AntConc was used for lexical and collocation analysis, while QDA Miner Lite facilitated thematic discourse coding. The analysis revealed that empowerment, resistance, solidarity, and the issue of gender-based violence (GBV) were dominant discourse strategies. Frequently used terms such as "GenderEqualityKE"; "women" and "equality" highlighted the campaign’s thematic alignment with gender advocacy. However, certain linguistic patterns, while promoting equity, also unintentionally reinforced traditional gender norms. These findings demonstrated the dual role of digital discourse as both a tool for resistance and a mechanism for sustaining stereotypes. The study contributes to scholarship on gender and digital activism by showing how language in online spaces could simultaneously challenge and uphold societal norms. It will offer practical insights for activists, policymakers, and scholars seeking to promote more inclusive and transformative language in gender advocacy campaigns.en-USSociolinguisticsgender studiesdiscourse analysislanguage and powergender normsThesis