The rise of the anti-rights conservative groups in Uganda and around the world has led to gendered disinformation that is threatening democracy and freedoms in the East African nation. Disinformation is being weaponised against women and minority groups who exercise their freedom of expression.
Rise of the feminist movement
Between 2016 and 2019, women’s voices became prominent and formidable in Ugandan online spaces. There were hashtags like #WomensLivesMatterUG that went viral and drew widespread attention. During this period, misogynists knew better than to cross the paths of those they had labeled “Twitter feminists.” The feminists educated the Ugandans on X (formerly Twitter) about things like agency, choice, and bodily integrity. This era saw the rise of activist Stella Nyanzi, whose nude protest against her boss was met with both jeers and cheers for her courage.
By 2018, feminists had moved the fight from the keyboards to the streets, amplifying their voices against rampant femicide in the country. Stella Nyanzi, alongside other prominent feminists, embodied this shift, using both online platforms and physical protests to demand justice and accountability.
Between 2015 and 2018, over 42 Ugandan women were kidnapped, maimed, and murdered in and around Uganda's capital, Kampala. Half of these gruesome murders occurred within three months in 2017. The bodies of these women often bore signs of brutal sexual violence, leaving the nation horrified and demanding answers.
In 2018, women marched on the streets of Kampala, demanding that the police take decisive action against the perpetrators of femicide. The police responded, and for some time, the rampant murders of women ceased.
Rise in misogynistic and conservative voices
However, as these dynamics unfolded, a dangerous rise in misogynistic and conservative voices began to shape the political and social environment, amplifying the challenges faced by activists, particularly women, who spoke out against the status quo. In 2020, as online spaces grew more critical due to lockdowns, the challenges of the pandemic further shaped the trajectory of the Ugandan feminist movement, pushing it to adapt and amplify its efforts in the face of new inequalities.
As President Donald Trump rose to power in the United States, the conservative movement in Uganda also grew bolder. Open Democracy reported that American conservative groups had poured over USD 50 million into Africa since 2007 to undermine LGBTQ+ rights; promote conservative values; and restrict access to safe abortion, contraceptives, and comprehensive sexual education. This influx of funding fueled the rise of conservative voices in Uganda, voices that pushed for regressive agendas under the guise of “cultural preservation.”
There has also been a rise of men’s rights activists, “incels” (involuntary celibates), and men who are driven by misogyny to keep patriarchy as the world order. Although Andrew Tate, a US-British influencer and professional kickboxer known for making shocking misogynistic remarks, has been banned on major social platforms, he left behind clones of himself on social media spaces in Uganda. These misogynistic voices, fueled by patriarchal ideologies, have given prominence to figures like Godfrey Kuteesa, who is notorious for spreading hate and misinformation about women in Uganda. On any given day, one might encounter tweets like “Your husband shall rule over you!”
As these misogynistic voices grew louder, amplified by algorithmic changes after Elon Musk’s takeover and rebranding of Twitter to X, many women began to retreat. Some deleted their Twitter accounts, choosing instead to focus on work such as writing books and pursuing advanced education. Many prioritized self-preservation and mental health, while others sought refuge in alternative spaces like Telegram and Instagram stories, where they felt safer and more in control of their interactions.
Fight against corruption in Uganda
Despite the shrinking online spaces for women, Agather Atuhaire, a Ugandan journalist and lawyer, rose to prominence when she and her colleagues started online exhibitions to expose corruption in various sectors of Uganda.
They started with the #KampalaPotholeExhibition and #UgandaHealthExhibition. Ugandans on X rallied behind these exhibitions to expose the mismanagement of funds by the current government and its consequences for ordinary Ugandans. The #UgandaParliamentExhibition caused the most uproar, revealing that the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, was channeling billions of Ugandan shillings to her private account on a weekly basis.
Since then, disinformation attacks have targeted Agather Atuhaire, despite her leading the campaigns with a team largely composed of men. As a woman and a single mother, she has become a target of hate speech and online violence.
Hate speech and disinformation attacks against women
In two separate interviews, Global Voices spoke to Atuhaire and later to Aloikin Praise Opoloje, a young woman who, along with her two colleagues, staged a nude protest against corruption in the Ugandan parliament. They discussed the online hate they have faced since their campaigns gained prominence online. Atuhaire remarked:
They claim that I have four children by four different men. I find it ridiculous for two reasons; how they think that is supposed to be something outrageous and of concern to Ugandans at the same level with their criminality, but also how they can’t even establish facts as basic as the number of children a woman has. If I was a man it would be understandable.
Most of the attacks on Atuhaire are gendered, vilifying her choices and negating her agency. She shared her opinion on what is behind this phenomenon.
It is so because of the patriarchal, archaic society we still live in where people think that a woman not being married is some sort of failure, that a woman shouldn’t have free will to choose a sexual partner or partners, and that a woman having sex is some abominable, shameful act whereas for a man, having many sexual partners is commendable and demonstrates sexual prowess! I saw some ridiculous comments about how my colleague Spire is sleeping with three women. the comments from men were that it would enhance his ‘market value.
But what is the aim of those who are spreading this misinformation?
They aim to discredit me. Either because someone is paying them to do so — our good reputations give us credibility, and people we have exposed need to undermine that to turn people against us — or because they think discrediting me will give them the limelight that I have.
These comments have sometimes left Atuhaire feeling discouraged.
Many times, I wonder how people I have never even met hate me so much as to write outrageous and false things about me, without concern for the consequences on my reputation or on my loved ones.
Along the way, she has developed a thick skin and learned to ignore online hate and focus on what’s important.
Atuhaire is not the only target of weaponized disinformation. On September 12, 2024, three young women — Norah Kobusingye, Praise Aloikin, and Kemitoma Kyenzibo — all around age 24, took to the streets of Kampala to protest against corruption in the Ugandan parliament. The three young women were remanded to Luzira prison and later released. Nude protests have traditionally been used as a form of resistance. During this period, much misinformation sprung up, most of it unfounded, and, as with Agatha Atuhaire, it was intended to discredit the protestors through gender-based attacks. Praise AloikinOpoloje told Global Voices about the misinformation that emerged regarding their nude protest.
They said that my choice of protest, being a nude protest, was because I wanted a visa out of the country. They claimed we were paid by foreign agents to stage the protests. They also called us prostitutes. They pointed at my armpits and said I have black armpits for a woman, to which I laughed and asked, ‘Which Black woman doesn't have black armpits?’ They also said we hadn’t had sex in a long time, so men were offering to give me sex because I was obviously sexually starved.
The attacks on Agather and the three young women protesters highlight how gendered disinformation is being used to silence women and reinforce patriarchal narratives in Uganda. In today’s age of information overload, we’ve all been susceptible to believing and spreading misinformation. However, we can combat this by being more mindful and intentional about the content we consume and share online. By Prudence Nyamishana, Global Voices
