Abstract:
The role of media in the fight for the rights of women across the globe is a major interest in contemporary
scholarship. While Kenya as a country is making commendable steps towards lifting the status of women
through legislation and education, gender equality remains elusive. Feminism has over the years sought to
define and defend equal rights of women in social, economic and political spheres. One means to this end is
to uncover ways in which dominance and oppression of women are often masked in aspects of our daily
lives; through ideology passed down through generations in very subtle ways. This paper therefore uses
critical discourse analysis to critique the portrayal of the woman in Nerea, a contemporary music video on
abortion. The emphasis is on how patriarchal gender ideologies perpetuate oppressive stereotypical views
on the place and role of women in society. This study therefore recommends that depictions of women in
media and other social commentary be examined critically. It is often in very covert ways, some intended to
achieve the contrary effect that the battle for gender equality is lost.
