Doreen Nyanjura is a
modern politician. She used the hashtag #ThePoliticalAntidote to describe her
program and declared on Twitter that she will run for president of Uganda in
2026. Her fans are known as Nyanjuraholics.
Nyanjura claims that despite having this online presence, being a woman in politics still presents obstacles. She claims that in addition to the supportive or mocking tweets that most politicians on social media have grown to expect, Nyanjura also gets comments that are sexist in nature.
"The table you are shaking is for Bigbouys [sic] not
slayers my dear. Don't even waste your capital unless there's something you're
running after," one person said, responding to Nyanjura's announcement
that she intends to run in Uganda's 2026 presidential election against Muhoozi
Kaneirugaba, the son of current president Yoweri Museveni -- if he runs.
"First get
married then contest on the presidential seat, (because) you can't rule
(people) who are married. What would you be advising them?" asked another.
As the deputy Lord Mayor of
Kampala, Uganda's main city, Nyanjura is no stranger to online abuses.
She says that the frequency of
these assaults grew since she accepted the position of deputy Lord Mayor about
three years ago.
These insults vary from remarks
about the length of her hair to her age and marital status.
"The fact that I am single was another reason
for the bullying with many saying that it was the reason I got the
position," insinuating that she had used sex to get ahead, Nyanjura tells CNN.
People will say "I am not
responsible because I am not married," she says. And if they ever saw her
with a man, even just standing next to one, "they would want to make it an
issue."
"Many feel advocating for equity and equality is an abuse of culture and religious beliefs. For all my posts advocating for gender equity, I receive abuse or insults," Nyanjura added. She said her advocacy posts on social media usually get lifted and shared across several WhatsApp groups, followed by abuse on all platforms.
Threats of
"physical attacks happen when I am planning a demonstration and posting
about them on social media ... I get threats of being arrested or being carried
in a 'drone' (a nickname given to the vans that have reportedly been used in
arrests of political activists in Uganda). So, I stay away from my home at such
times and ask my family members to do the same," she added.
"There are so many women who
are not on any of these media platforms (but) if I am to go off social media
because I have been bullied, what example am I creating for other women that
are following me, my posts, my videos and pick encouragement from me?"
One in three (32.8%) Ugandan women between the ages of 18 and 65 who participated in the poll and were led by the feminist tech group Pollicy in 2020 reported having encountered gender-based online abuse.
According to a 2021
survey, 50% of women in high-profile positions and leaders experienced
trolling.
"Many of them stopped using
the apps and stopped organizing online," says Irene Mwendwa, Director of
Strategic Initiatives at Pollicy.
The IPU and APU's 2021 research,
which discovered that the bulk of violence women MPs receive comes from their
male colleagues, especially those from competing parties, supports Namazzi and
Nyanjura's experiences.
According to the survey,
minority-group women lawmakers who are single, under 40, and who live with
impairments experience higher violence.
The investigation discovered that female MPs who support women's rights and gender equality are also targeted, as Nyanjura's experience demonstrates.
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