A third of the Ukrainian population monitors the news every hour, and almost half use their phones for 4-6 hours a day. A huge amount of information is perceived by everyone constantly. It can be difficult to distinguish facts from fakes in this flow. Especially if the manipulations are based on existing stereotypes, including gender stereotypes.
Discrediting Ukrainian refugees and female military personnel is still one of the goals of hostile propaganda. Russia is actively using it for its own benefit. So what is gender disinformation and how to recognize it?
Gender disinformation: what is it and how does it spread
The prevailing opinion is that gender disinformation is misleading or false gendered and/or sexualized narratives created to damage the reputation of women and prevent their participation in the public sphere. That is, when you read another Russian fake about Ukrainian refugees who “became prostitutes in the EU,” it is gender disinformation.
“Russia loves to use gender disinformation. It serves to justify its aggressive policies and war crimes, and is also a tool for dividing into ‘ours and ours’. This vividly illustrates the propaganda construct about Europe, which is opposed to ‘traditional’ Russian values,” said Dzvenyslava Shcherba, an analyst at the NGO Internews-Ukraine, at the conference “DesOut: How to Knock Manipulations Out of the Information Field.”
Dzvenyslava Shcherba
In a study on gender-based disinformation by the NGO Internews-Ukraine, respondents from among journalists and public figures identify two main reasons for the spread of such disinformation.
Sometimes publications reprint external information without checking the facts;
Social media users may spread fake news because they often seek to draw attention to an event or news item, without questioning its veracity.
It is also worth remembering the dominance of Russian propaganda. Together, these factors help gender stereotypes and outright fake news to spread and take hold online.
“Women are often reduced to the role of mothers, daughters, and caregivers, instead of being seen as full-fledged political and economic actors,” says researcher Sarah Soberai from Tufts University in the United States. She identifies three main strategies by which women are forced to be silent or limit their influence: intimidation, shaming, and discrediting.
Sarah Soberai
A striking example is the social media campaign launched in 2017 against Svitlana Zalishchuk, a Ukrainian MP of the 8th convocation. At that time, she gave a speech at the UN about the impact of the war on the lives of Ukrainian women. Fakes began to spread on social networks that the deputy had allegedly promised to run naked through the streets of Kyiv if the Armed Forces of Ukraine were defeated. This is how they tried to discredit Zalishchuk, reducing her role as a woman to a sexual object.
Gender disinformation is also being used against the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska. The most aggressive topics in information operations against her are corruption and crimes against children. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, hostile propagandists have accused Olena Zelenska of spending $1 million on jewelry, purchasing a Bugatti Tourbillon car for €4.5 million, and being involved in child trafficking. All reports turned out to be fakes.
Although such manipulations are always refuted, their presence in the information field harms women. Not all people check information, and some of them may believe fakes. In order not to become the target audience of propagandists, it is necessary to develop media literacy.
How to check media content for gender misinformation and manipulation
Dzvenislava Shcherba suggests asking four questions, the answers to which will help you easily check the content for objectivity. They will be useful for everyone who wants to develop their media literacy and critical thinking.
- Does the media content contain generalizations about a certain gender?
Check whether the content contains stereotypes and gender clichés. For example, are women described as “caretakers” or “mothers” in a context that is not related to family or household duties? Are men portrayed only as “strong” and “brutal”? Such narratives promote gender stereotypes, on the basis of which many fakes are built.
- Are the statements supported by facts?
Make sure that the ideas are supported by facts and research. Many of the statements used to spread misinformation about women, such as “all women fled abroad and don’t think about the fate of the country,” “women don’t serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” have no factual basis.
- Does the content contain manipulative comparisons?
Comparing two issues or experiences that are not actually comparable can mislead people. Common examples include comparing workplace harassment and innocent compliments. The latter are usually aimed at professional qualities and achievements, rather than a person’s appearance. Therefore, “You did a great job” or “You are a true professional in your field” are perfectly appropriate compliments. However, if they relate to appearance or fuel stereotypes (“You are not like that, I am other women”, “You don’t whine like other women”) is a warning signal.
This also includes statements that gender discrimination against men and women is equally widespread, or comparing men with women to show them as “weak” or “worthless”. The latter can often be found in Russian propaganda, where gender stereotypes are used to humiliate both sexes.
- Does the content justify or encourage violence?
This tool of disinformation is widespread in Russian media. There, they often justify the rape of Ukrainian women by Russian soldiers and even encourage new crimes.
Other examples can be found on social networks – derogatory messages about Ukrainian servicewomen. They write about them that they “came to the army for men”. These narratives justify violence and insults against Ukrainian women in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Fakes are aimed at undermining democratic values within the country, as they devalue the contribution of women to its defense. And therefore, they increase inequality and tension in society.
Gender disinformation is a form and tool of Russian propaganda. It contributes to the spread of stereotypes and the normalization of violence against women, discrediting and intimidating them. Therefore, content on social networks and in the media should be carefully checked for sexist and discriminatory statements.
The material was created by the team of the NGO “Internews-Ukraine” within the framework of the project “Strengthening Truthfulness, Transparency and Democracy to Counter Disinformation”, funded by the Government of Canada.
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