The struggle for independence of Western Sahara has been silenced for decades and making it visible is an arduous endeavour that involves overcoming many hurdles. In this scenario, Sahrawi women have been active participants in the liberation movement through different strategies. However, their involvement has gone through leaps-ahead and setbacks throughout history, however, today, their role appears to be gaining momentum. Therefore, it is particularly relevant to analyse the role played by Sahrawi women in the diaspora and to what extent they contribute to peacebuilding through online activism.
The methodology used to analyse the case has relied on primary and secondary data, mainly interviews to key informants and posts on social media. Besides, the literature review and a combination of theoretical approaches further support the interpretation and discussion of the data. Consequently, the analysis and discussion of the data collected shows that: first, there is an explicit feminist discourse, where women use strong argumentations and theoretical basis to support their claims. Second, Sahrawi women in the diaspora prove their commitment to the cause by spreading information in their country of settlement. This is particularly relevant in the era of misinformation, where their role in breaking the information blockade in digital social media is paramount. Third, they also contribute to creating a common imagined community based on gender equality, even though they face harsh criticism for raising debates on structural systems of oppression. In this regard, female activism not only has to face a considerable amount of internal criticism, but also confront “external agents”. Both internal and external agents pose a type of hostility that has so far been confronted by Sahrawi women in the diaspora through strategies such as mutual support.
To sum up, the study delves into how Sahrawi women in the diaspora in Spain are taking part in debates in public spaces through online activism, analysing how they perceive the relevance of several topics that are frequent within their discourses. These actions allow them to contribute to political advocacy in different ways, and to build an equal society, which is the breeding ground for sustainable peace. The comprehensive approach to topics such as intersectionality, sisterhood, colonialism and identity is essential to build a common understanding of gender equality within the Sahrawi community, obtain support from the international community and achieve sustainable peace in Western Sahara.