Gendered Disinformation in the Political Landscape | FactFest 2026 | Panel Discussion

How does gendered disinformation affect women’s participation in politics, public life and democratic discourse? This panel discussion from FactFest 2026, held on 27 September 2026, examines how gendered disinformation uses sexualised narratives, misogynistic stereotypes, character assassination and manipulated content to target women in political and public spaces. Unlike conventional political misinformation, gendered disinformation often attacks women not only for their political positions or actions but also through their gender, appearance, morality, personal lives and family relationships. These campaigns can damage reputations, intensify online harassment and create pressure that discourages women from participating openly in political life. The discussion explores the language and patterns behind gender-targeted smear campaigns, the growing use of AI-generated and manipulated visual content, the impact of online abuse on women in politics, and the challenges facing fact-checkers, social media platforms, political parties and policymakers in responding to these forms of manipulation. Speakers also discuss how women navigate such attacks and the need for stronger collaborative responses across media, research, civil society and policymaking. Read more about the panel discussion: https://digitallyright.org/factfest-g... Panel: Gendered Disinformation in the Political Landscape Speakers: • Noshin Tabassum, Research Officer, Dismislab • Anwara Parvin, Fact Checker, FactWatch • Tajnuva Jabeen, Organiser, Alternatives Moderator: Abdullah Titir, Head of Research, Digitally Right About FactFest 2026 FactFest 2026 is the second edition of Bangladesh’s national fact-checking conference, following the inaugural gathering in 2025. Digitally Right launched the initiative to create a first-of-its-kind dedicated space in Bangladesh where fact-checkers can exchange experiences, strengthen professional collaboration and collectively examine the country’s evolving information ecosystem. The 2026 edition brought together fact-checkers, journalists, researchers, academics, information-integrity practitioners and university students for two days of discussion, workshops and professional exchange. Participants examined key challenges facing Bangladesh’s information landscape, including misinformation and disinformation, political and gendered information manipulation, changing verification practices, emerging technologies and public trust. FactFest gives Bangladesh’s fact-checking community a shared space to discuss challenges facing the profession, examine shifts in the country’s information environment, learn from one another and strengthen collective responses to increasingly complex forms of information manipulation. Digitally Right Limited organised FactFest 2026 in partnership with Fojo Media Institute under the Media Safety in the Digital Age project, with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Follow Digitally Right Facebook:   / digitallyrightbd   LinkedIn:   / digitally-right-limited-drl   Instagram:   / digitallyrightbd   YouTube:    / @digitallyright   X: https://x.com/bdigitallyright