سوگل رزاقی

The present study aims to explore how active Iranian Instagram users from Generations?X,?Y,?and?Z perceive and engage with the virtual campaign “Speak About Inequality” (Persian hashtag?#از_نابرابری_بگو), launched in conjunction with International Women’s Day and held over a three?day period in March?۲۰۲۵. Considering the pivotal role of social media in shaping gender discourses—and the generational differences in responding to digital campaigns—this research adopted a qualitative approach. Data were collected through semi?structured interviews (۳۰ participants, including ten male and female users from each generation), selected via snowball sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. The data were analyzed using the Braun and?Clarke thematic analysis method. The statistical population consisted of Iranian Instagram users from Generations?X,?Y,?and?Z who had interacted with the hashtag mentioned above. The short time span of the campaign and the difficulty of accessing participants posed certain challenges to data collection; nevertheless, efforts were made to ensure the maximum diversity of participants.

Findings revealed distinct generational patterns in perception and engagement: Generation?X interpreted the campaign from ethical and historical perspectives, viewing it as a reminder of longstanding inequalities; Generation?Y approached it through a structural and civic lens, emphasizing collective responsibility and institutional change; and Generation?Z adopted an experiential and identity?based stance, highlighting authentic, lived expression within the digital sphere. Based on thematic analysis, five core themes emerged: media maturity and search for authenticity, male responsibility and gendered tone transformation, localization and discursive moderation, lived experience as a facilitator of action, and development of interactive tools. The overall analysis indicates a semantic shift within the campaign—from personal feelings of inequality toward conscious collective action—illustrating a cultural transition from confrontation to understanding within the framework of Iranian digital feminism.

Furthermore, the results were compared with previous national and international studies, leading to the proposal of the innovative concept of “Indigenous Dialogic Feminism” as an integrative framework combining Mannheim’s generational theory, Castells’ network society, and the uses?and?gratifications approach. Finally, the study concludes with practical recommendations for enhancing inter?generational media literacy, strengthening the discourse of digital ethics, and conducting future longitudinal studies.