Gender-based attacks and misinformation targeting women are rampant on the social media platforms in Bangladesh, says a recent study by InfoLab of Techglobal Institute, an international organisation.
Analysing nearly 25,000 Facebook posts published during the country’s general elections and upazilla polls, the study found that 1,400 out of 12,287 posts mentioned gender-based attacks.
Women politicians, journalists and activists have been frequently targeted with sexual insinuations, derogatory comments on their appearance, and attacks based on gender and religion, the study reveals.
Such abusive contents of Facebook and other social media platforms hampers women's participation in politics and their civic engagement, increasing violence and eroding social norms. The study also reveals that 66 percent of women and girls in Bangladesh have fallen victim to cybercrimes, reflecting a high incidence of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV).
The study revealed a fragmented and complex political and social media landscape in Bangladesh, making it difficult to trace the sources of disinformation.
Despite measures like reserved parliamentary seats for women, political participation remains low due to existing social norms and targeted online gender-based abuse.
The study found evidence of coordinated efforts to disseminate gender-based disinformation, with repeated posts published on different social media platforms.
The study underscores the need for a context-responsive framework to study and address TFGBV in global contexts. It also calls for platform policies that reflect the experiences and challenges faced by women and gender-diverse communities in Bangladesh.
Online gender-based abuse undermines democratic processes and promotes a male-dominated political environment according to the study.
