Women face online attacks in Uganda elections ^{CEFR B2}

Women have long influenced Uganda’s politics. Figures such as Joyce Mpanga, who served as minister for women in development, and Winnie Byanyima, who helped frame the 1995 Constitution, helped expand opportunities for women. Article 21 introduced affirmative action and reserves one‑third of local and parliamentary seats for women. In January 2026 several women stood as candidates in the general elections.

During the campaign many female candidates were exposed to online gendered attacks. Abuses ranged from AI‑generated images and deepfakes to sexualised insults and disinformation. Nawaya Gloria, an aspiring youth MP who said she was born with HIV, received abusive replies after a public post. Joyce Bagala and Yvonne Mpambara were targeted with rumours and sexualised language, while false reports and deepfakes circulated about other politicians on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube.

A UN Women report, citing the Ugandan Bureau of Statistics, found that 95 percent of Ugandan women had experienced physical and/or sexual violence; many respondents also said violence is common in their communities and that survivors risk shame if they speak out. The report notes there is no specific law on tech‑facilitated gender‑based violence, and that the Computer Misuse Act 2011 has at times been used against feminist critics. Overall, technology has amplified existing violence and created new barriers to women’s political participation.