As we celebrate this International Women’s Day with the achievements of women across the nation, we must also recognize a new threat. The United Nations has declared the theme for 2026 as “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” But when women are excluded from the digital public space before they have a chance to speak, how can they claim their rights? What happens when the very tool meant to bring everyone together is weaponized to silence women, and when the algorithms influencing their future are infused with prejudices from the past? The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not just a technological innovation; it is a system that deeply influences governance, communication, and social life. While it creates profound opportunities, it also carries the risk of undermining constitutional democracy. A few individuals sitting behind laptops, computers, or cell phones thousands of miles away from a country, with little or no direct connection to it, can still have a significant impact on policy and political matters.
- A Threat to Democracy: Technology-facilitated gender-based violence and unchecked AI algorithms are actively being weaponized to exclude women from public digital spaces.
- Silencing Political Voices: During Bangladesh’s recent elections and transitions, female candidates faced severe, targeted online abuse-drastically reducing female political participation.
- Policy into Practice: The National AI Policy 2026-2030 must transition from paper promises to a Gender-Just framework by operationalizing oversight committees.
- Urgent Legal Action: There is a critical need for explicit laws against deepfakes and online harassment, coupled with accessible reporting mechanisms for survivors.
The Rise of Digital Gender-Based Violence
In Bangladesh, the problem became increasingly visible during the recent political transition period. Women who became publicly visible during and after the July-August uprising faced systematic, technology-facilitated gender-based violence designed to silence their political participation and deter broader female engagement ahead of future elections. During the University Central Union elections, female candidates were constantly targeted on social media with sexist slurs, slut-shaming, and even threats of gang rape. Their campaign pages were flooded with obscene comments and doctored images. A report by the digital rights group Activate Rights found that women candidates faced far more online abuse than men, even though they made up only 4% of all contestants. Female candidates were targeted with fake images meant to humiliate and sabotage them. Some women faced trolling for simply wearing a headscarf, while others had their campaign materials damaged, and the authorities insisted on “photo proof” for complaints.
Despite widespread outrage, the authorities remained largely silent. That silence sent a terrifying message across the country: that their voices, even in democratic spaces, can be silenced into submission. As a result, only 85 women contested the 13th National Parliamentary Election, and of them, only seven candidates were elected. In several instances, the wives or daughters of individual political figures were also targeted to spread violence.
The Shortcomings of Current Policy
The root of this problem runs very deep. Policymakers and law enforcers have a very limited understanding of digital violence or AI systems. Many still dismiss these as virtual issues, ignoring their real-life impact. Women’s freedom of speech, participation, and safety are guaranteed under the Constitution. However, that promise is being destroyed by the digital world.
Bangladesh can change this situation with the National AI Policy for 2026-2030. It contains a prohibition on social scoring, promises on algorithm evaluation, and risk-based rules. However, these currently exist only on paper. We need to turn it into a Gender-Just AI framework.
A Path Forward: Gender-Just AI
We must begin by operationalizing the institutions that the policy has already promised. The Independent Oversight Committee and the National Data Governance Agency are currently only names on paper; without active enforcement mechanisms, systemic gender bias cannot be identified or corrected. Next, we must make it explicitly illegal to harass women online, spread deepfakes, or share modified photos, and give survivors quick, simple ways to report abuse and have the content taken down. Finally, women must have genuine, straightforward ways to challenge policies that affect them, and any algorithm implemented by government services must be subject to independent evaluation. Only a rights-centric and gender-just framework grounded in constitutional morality and judicial oversight offers a viable path for Bangladesh to harness the benefits of AI while safeguarding women and democracy against its risks.
This International Women’s Day, as the speeches are read and the photographs are taken, we must remember those women who went silent due to the expense of digital speaking, deleted their social media accounts, or gave up on their political dreams. Women deserve a world that does not use their gender against them. They deserve comprehensive laws and robust institutions capable of practical implementation to protect their dignity and ensure their physical and digital safety.
The choice belongs to us. We can either create a digital world in Bangladesh where everyone has a voice, or we can let technology silence women and deepen inequality. This simple decision will determine the future of women and our democracy.
This op-ed was collaboratively authored by Mohaiminul Islam Roktim, Md. Rasel, Zarin Tasnim Joyita, Muhammad Tafhimul Islam, and Zakia Sultana Sadia. The authors are currently serving as Interns at the Attorney General’s Office under the UNDP Internship Programme.
