Gonna Tell a Lie and Hurt You? Reclaiming the Internet from Gendered Disinformation

Gendered disinformation has become a powerful tool to silence, discredit, and intimidate women in politics and public life. From sexualized smear campaigns to coordinated online harassment, these attacks undermine women’s voices and distort public debate.

This panel presents findings from a new series of studies by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), examining gendered disinformation in Mexico, the Philippines, Lebanon, Czechia and Slovakia. Through statistical evidence, expert interviews and personal testimonies, the research reveals both shared patterns and country-specific tactics used to undermine women’s participation in public life. Beyond women’s resilience, the panel shares concrete strategies to push back against gendered disinformation, defend women’s voices, and reclaim the web as a space where all can be seen and heard – from policy responses and platform accountability to civil society and media action.

Because silencing women online is silencing democracy itself, and we are never gonna give up on either.