DEMOCRACY, DISINFORMATION AND GENDER

ONLINE TEA TIME WITH CLARA IGLESIAS KELLER AND CHRISTINA DINAR

7th of June, 7-8 pm

via ZOOM

Disinformation is a worldwide phenomenon that is boosted through social media and has grown starkly throughout the pandemic. Ahead of elections, disinformation poses significant challenges to manipulation of the electoral campaigns and candidates’ positions. Particularly women are affected by disinformation, as misogynistic and sexualised stereotypes and harassment threaten women and aim to discredit them. A current target of gendered disinformation in Germany is the Green party’s candidate for chancellor Annalena Baerbock. She was faced with a manipulated picture aimed at sexualizing and discrediting her as a politician.

Ahead of the German federal elections in September 2021, we want to speak about the causes and consequences of this problem. Our guests are Clara Iglesias Keller* (Leibniz Institute/ WZB) and Christina Dinar** (Netzforma* e.V.). Questions guiding the discussion are: How are democracies, and in particular democratic elections, affected by disinformation? To what extent does disinformation affect the political participation and representation of women? How can the spread of disinformation be prevented and, at the same time, freedom of expression in social networks guaranteed?

We seek to define disinformation and the types of campaigns that target women particularly. Beyond, we want to explore practical approaches that can help to prevent the spread of disinformation without giving them an algorithm boost. 

If you want to join our virtual Polis Tea Time via Zoom, please register below. We will send you the Zoom link and log in details as well as a few voluntary background readings to provide context a few days prior to the event. We are looking forward to an engaging and interesting discussion and hope to see many of you there! 

This event is organized by Polis180’s program Gender and International Politics.

*Clara Iglesias Keller is Coordinator of the Digital Disinformation Hub in the Leibniz Institute for Media and Researcher at the WZB Berlin Social Sciences Center. She focuses on state regulation of online speech and technological transformations. 

** Christina Dinar is the Deputy Director at the Centre for Internet and Human Rights and the board member of Netzforma*. Amongst other activities, she has developed digital streetwork which seeks to transport social work into the technological space and focuses on feminist perspectives on technology.