The discursive function of gendered online hate speech in Kosovo
Source: Global Voices
In May 2026, I launched the first phase of a project aimed at understanding how sexist hate speech operates in Kosovo’s online public sphere with the help of AI tools. While discussions about online violence against women have become increasingly common, there is still limited local research examining the actual language used in these attacks and the social narratives they reproduce.
The project was motivated by a simple but important question: What role does sexist hate speech play in public discourse? Is it merely a collection of offensive comments posted by anonymous users, or does it serve a broader discursive function?
Understanding these dynamics is important because online discourse increasingly shapes public attitudes, political participation, and perceptions of who belongs in public life. If misogynistic narratives become normalized online, they can discourage women from participating in public debate and reinforce existing inequalities.
A disturbing picture
After putting together a team to facilitate the project, we began monitoring social media comments published on 22 major Kosovo-based Facebook and YouTube pages. We collected and analyzed 625 comments across 67 social media posts published between May 1 and 31, 2026.
These posts were made by well-established media outlets that report on national news.
The monitoring period coincided with the local election campaign and a period of intensive political debate online.
The findings paint a disturbing picture of how women are discussed in Kosovo’s digital public sphere — one that is even more disturbing than many might imagine.
In May 2026, I launched the first phase of a project aimed at understanding how sexist hate speech operates in Kosovo’s online public sphere with the help of AI tools. While discussions about online violence against women have become increasingly common, there is still limited local research examining the actual language used in these attacks and the social narratives they reproduce.
The project was motivated by a simple but important question: What role does sexist hate speech play in public discourse? Is it merely a collection of offensive comments posted by anonymous users, or does it serve a broader discursive function?
Understanding these dynamics is important because online discourse increasingly shapes public attitudes, political participation, and perceptions of who belongs in public life. If misogynistic narratives become normalized online, they can discourage women from participating in public debate and reinforce existing inequalities.
A disturbing picture
After putting together a team to facilitate the project, we began monitoring social media comments published on 22 major Kosovo-based Facebook and YouTube pages. We collected and analyzed 625 comments across 67 social media posts published between May 1 and 31, 2026.
These posts were made by well-established media outlets that report on national news.
The monitoring period coincided with the local election campaign and a period of intensive political debate online.
The findings paint a disturbing picture of how women are discussed in Kosovo’s digital public sphere — one that is even more disturbing than many might imagine.