Senegal is witnessing an alarming surge in gendered disinformation campaigns that specifically target women in public spheres. This disturbing trend mirrors similar patterns observed in Côte d’Ivoire, as documented in a comprehensive study examining the impact and challenges of gendered disinformation across both nations.

Research reveals that 61% of women surveyed in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire have been victims of gendered disinformation. Unlike traditional disinformation that attacks ideas, this insidious form of misinformation systematically targets women’s bodies, sexuality and private lives to undermine their credibility and presence in public discourse.

“Gendered disinformation operates differently because it weaponizes personal attacks against women,” explains Sadia Mandjo, a journalist specializing in women’s rights in Africa. “While men are often targeted with false information about political or economic matters, women—especially politicians, journalists and activists—face systematic attacks on their morality and intimate lives to discredit their legitimacy.”

The ’72-hour’ phenomenon: a Senegalese digital lynching

In Senegal, women describe a particularly vicious tactic known as the “72-hour” phenomenon. “For 72 hours, a female activist, journalist or politician is subjected to a coordinated digital witch hunt,” Mandjo details. “Attackers don’t just spread falsehoods—they fabricate entire narratives, create damaging photoshopped images and rewrite personal histories to portray these women as immoral.”

While male politicians occasionally face similar attacks, the consequences for women are disproportionately severe. The report highlights that the primary objective is silencing: “These campaigns aim to push women out of digital spaces entirely. The goal isn’t debate—it’s eradication from public conversation.”

Systematic discrediting mechanisms

The study identifies distinct patterns in how different female profiles are attacked:

• Women politicians: Accused of obtaining positions through sexual relationships with party officials
• Journalists: Portrayed as foreign agents paid by Western governments to produce biased reporting
• Activists: Labeled as Western-funded operatives seeking to destabilize local institutions

“The attacks never engage with ideas or policies,” Mandjo observes. “They consistently target personal integrity to render women illegitimate in public spaces.”

Chilling effects on public participation

This digital violence has tangible consequences. Many women report self-censorship online or complete withdrawal from digital platforms. “Opting out of digital spaces isn’t passive—it’s equivalent to abandoning public life,” warns Mandjo.

The most vulnerable groups include female politicians, journalists, feminist activists, public figures, influencers and artists—women who dare to claim visible roles in society. The report identifies the perpetrators as primarily men aged 17-45, often from the same countries as their targets, with some women also participating in these patriarchal attacks.

Digital platforms bear significant responsibility for this crisis. “Much of this harmful content is produced in local languages like Wolof,” Mandjo notes, “yet platforms lack mechanisms to report or moderate content in these languages because they’re designed with Western contexts in mind.”

Urgent call for official recognition

The report’s key recommendation urges Senegalese authorities to formally recognize digital gender-based violence as equivalent to other forms of gender violence like sexual assault, femicide and physical abuse. Such recognition would enable:

• Development of specific legislation to address these crimes
• Training for police officers to properly handle digital violence complaints
• Judicial education for magistrates and judges on these emerging crimes
• Implementation of digital literacy and fact-checking education programs

“Digital violence doesn’t exist in isolation,” Mandjo emphasizes. “It represents the continuation of offline gender violence into digital spaces. The high rates of domestic and street violence against women in Senegal find their digital equivalent in these coordinated attacks.”