Women face online attacks in Uganda electionsCEFR B1
16 Feb 2026
Adapted from Prudence Nyamishana, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Andrew Itaga, Unsplash
Women have shaped Uganda’s politics since independence, and leaders such as Joyce Mpanga and Winnie Byanyima helped open space for female participation. Article 21 of the Constitution introduced affirmative action and reserves one‑third of local government seats and parliamentary positions for women. In January 2026 Uganda held general elections in which several women ran as candidates.
During the campaign many women faced online attacks, including AI‑generated images, deepfakes, gendered disinformation and sexualised insults. Nawaya Gloria, a human rights lawyer and aspiring youth MP, said she was born with HIV and faced abusive replies after a public post. Other candidates, such as Joyce Bagala and Yvonne Mpambara, were subject to sexual rumours and accusations.
The UN Women report cites the Ugandan Bureau of Statistics finding that most women have experienced physical or sexual violence. It also says technology has amplified existing violence and created new barriers to women’s political participation, while laws have not kept pace with tech‑facilitated abuse.
Difficult words
- affirmative action — policies to increase inclusion of underrepresented groups
- reserve — set aside for a particular purposereserves
- deepfake — fake video or image made by artificial intelligencedeepfakes
- gendered disinformation — false information targeting people because of gender
- sexualised insult — offensive words about someone's sexual life or bodysexualised insults
- amplify — made stronger or louder or increased effectamplified
- barrier — something that makes movement or progress difficultbarriers
- constitution — a country's basic written laws and principles
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How might online attacks affect a woman's decision to run for political office in Uganda?
- What legal or technical changes could help protect women candidates from AI-generated abuse and disinformation?
- What can communities and political parties do to support women who face sexualised insults or rumours during campaigns?
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