In an era where information travels faster than truth, gender disinformation has emerged as a potent tool to silence, shame, and sideline women and gender-diverse individuals from digital and civic spaces. This deeply harmful phenomenon combines misogyny, falsehoods, and technology to produce a particularly insidious form of online abuse.
According to United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, “gendered disinformation is a strategy to silence women and gender-diverse voices. It is also a form of online gender-based violence in some situations. The dual nature of the phenomenon in the digital age makes both the definition of the problem and the search for solutions more complex and challenging.” In Bangladesh, gender disinformation operates within the long shadow of patriarchy and finds fertile ground in the chaotic terrain of unregulated social media, anonymous trolling, weak legal protections and sheer absence of sensitivity on digital media.
Gender disinformation is not just an attack on individual dignity. It is a structural issue with far-reaching impacts on democratic participation, freedom of expression, and human rights, particularly those of women, indigenous population, gender-diverse individuals, and other marginalized communities and intersectional identities. When falsehoods and smear campaigns become routine responses to the public engagement of women activists, journalists, artists, and students, it signals a broader erosion of civic space.
The recent cases from Bangladesh offer sobering evidence of this trend. For instance, the vicious campaign against Nusrat Tabassum, a student leader and anti-discrimination activist at Dhaka University. A manipulated and recycled pornographic video was circulated with false claims that it featured her. Accompanied by slurs and violent language, the video was clearly aimed at dismantling her credibility, discrediting her leadership, and deterring her from political participation. While fact-checkers debunked the video as old and unrelated, the damage was already inflicted on her reputation, mental well-being, and civic engagement.
In another chilling example, deepfake technology was weaponized to target the daughter of Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam. Explicit photos were generated using artificial intelligence (AI), replacing the face of an overseas pornographic actress with hers. This malicious effort not only violated her privacy and safety simply because she is related to a prominent public figure, but also marked a disturbing escalation in gendered digital abuse. Fact-checking platform Fact Watch confirmed the forgery, but this case underscores how easily technology can be twisted into a means of gender-based violence.
Gender disinformation also intersects with broader political and cultural anxieties. When Syeda Rizwana Hasan, an environmental activist, and actress Mehazabien Chowdhury were targeted by an absurd AI-generated narrative involving condoms and environmentalism, the intent was not merely mockery but character assassination. Here, a feminist environmentalist and a popular woman figure were deliberately sexualized and ridiculed, reducing their work and personhood to a punchline.
In yet another instance, a fabricated letter circulated online falsely claimed that actress Puja Cherry had joined a controversial political group as an advisor. Though she swiftly denied the claim and fact-checkers exposed the counterfeit, the incident reflects the growing tendency to frame women as either politically deviant or sexually compromised, both classic tropes of gender disinformation. Similarly, Dr. Tasnim Zara, a rights activist, was falsely accused of having political affiliations she did not possess and of family ties designed to malign her credibility. In each case, these women were targeted not for what they did, but for who they are, outspoken, visible, and unwilling to conform.
These incidents are not isolated. They are part of a pattern, a system of disinformation that reinforces the message: women who speak up, lead, or claim space will be punished. Whether through fake photos, deepfakes, slanderous posts, or false affiliations, the common denominator is silencing dissent through humiliation.
This form of digital violence is particularly devastating in Bangladesh, where civic space is already narrowing. Previously, laws like the Cyber Security Act (CSA) have been used to suppress dissent, while mechanisms to protect women and marginalized voices online remain woefully inadequate. For every false video or doctored image that is fact-checked, countless others remain in circulation, shared without consent, context, or correction.
The broader implications for democracy and human rights are profound. Gender disinformation undermines Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, gender equality, by discouraging women’s participation in political and public life and normalizing abuse against them. It also threatens SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions), which emphasizes inclusive societies and accountable institutions. When falsehoods are allowed to fester, when perpetrators act with impunity, and when victims receive no recourse, citizens fail on both fronts.
The United Nations, along with several rights organizations, has proposed frameworks to combat gender disinformation. These include fostering media literacy, strengthening content moderation, promoting ethical journalism, holding tech platforms accountable, and adopting survivor-centered approaches to online abuse. Moreover, the UN Action Plan on Gendered Disinformation urges governments to recognize and criminalize these acts as part of broader gender-based violence policies. However, enforcement remains minimal, mostly due to the authorities’ lack of prioritization.
In Bangladesh, such policy measures remain embryonic. While private initiatives like Rumour Scanner and Fact Watch have been commendable in debunking viral disinformation, they operate within a hostile digital ecosystem. Their resources are limited, and the scale of gender disinformation often outpaces their capacity to respond. However, their efforts to shed light on the truth deserve greater support and patronage to thrive and effectively raise awareness.
A comprehensive national strategy is urgently needed. This must include legislation that protects individuals from deepfakes and gendered defamation while safeguarding free expression. It also calls for digital literacy campaigns, especially targeting youth and even children, who are increasingly exposed to technology, to help them recognize and reject manipulative content. Tech companies must be pressured to act responsibly to identify and remove abusive content, invest in moderation in local language, and enable transparent redress mechanisms for victims.
At its core, gender disinformation is a threat to the right to be seen, heard, and participate equally. It is a digital extension of long-standing gender discrimination, made even more alarming by the speed, scale, and anonymity enabled by the complexed digital identities on social platforms. If unchallenged, it will deepen existing inequalities, further marginalize the vulnerable, and erode trust in both civic discourse and democratic institutions.
We must confront this reality with urgency and clarity. Because every doctored image, every fake circular, every malicious smear against a woman or gender diverse person online is not just a personal attack, it is an attack on the very idea of equality and justice, rights safeguarded by the constitution. Protecting civic space requires standing up for those most frequently targeted within it, both online and offline. That effort must begin with acknowledging gender disinformation not as mere fake news that can be ignored and forgotten, but as a serious and escalating threat to freedom, equality, and democracy.