New partnership tackles gendered disinformation in rural India

A new joint endeavour between the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and the digital media social enterprise Chambal Media is delving into the realities of gendered disinformation in rural India, bringing to the spotlight the lived experiences of women and gender-diverse persons in the country. Enabled through the project “Unpacking gendered disinformation in India: Deepening understanding and exploring countermeasures”, the collaboration aims to build knowledge through evidence-based information and creative and analytical content about causes, trends, challenges, violations, remedies and counter-measures related to online disinformation.

Under this same project, between July and August this year, APC's feminist platform GenderIT.org published a series of articles on the problem in the country. Together they show the many faces of the violation of fundamental rights of already marginalised communities. This can be seen in the use of online misinformation to exploit the financial precarity of LBQT+ communities in India; excluded from formal banking and welfare systems due to identity-based barriers, many are pushed towards unsafe digital loans, scams and fraudulent job offers. Also when sexual and reproductive health misinformation thrives because social media algorithms amplify emotionally charged, shame-based narratives over evidence-based information, making credible content harder to access. Or when Dalit and feminist creators speak up on Instagram and the platform’s algorithm makes them targets, while Muslim women have also been increasingly targeted by gendered disinformation, hate campaigns and digital violence.

If India’s growing manosphere is fuelling a dangerous wave of gendered disinformation targeting women, feminists and gender justice advocates, the articles also express stories of resistance. In Chhattisgarh, rural women are emerging as grassroots digital defenders against misinformation and cybersecurity threats. Meanwhile, queer tribal men from Northeast India are confronting gendered disinformation and toxic masculinity both online and offline. And much more. 

Amplifying the experiences of women and gender-diverse persons who are targets of such disinformation helps us to surface its impact on both them and the communities they are part of, and the need for remedies that address gendered disinformation to be framed through an intersectional lens that takes into account diverse lived realities.

To contribute in this regard, this new partnership between APC and Chambal Media will share a four-part multimedia series on social media platforms such as Instagram and LinkedIn that unpacks the impact of gendered disinformation, exploring why it spreads, how platforms can be held accountable, and what needs to change.

To learn more about the urgency of the issue, how it manifests in different experiences in the country, and what to expect from this collaboration, we spoke with Srishti, the business development lead at Chambal Media and editor of KL Hatke, part of the Khabar Lahariya network, and Sejal, staff writer and journalist at Khabar Lahariya. Khabar Lahariya is an alternative and independent journalistic outlet with an all-women team – Dalit-led but also comprising Muslim, OBC and upper-caste women – doing groundbreaking rural journalism.

Why is it urgent to address gendered disinformation in the context of rural communities in India?

Srishti: So far, most conversations around gendered disinformation have been concentrated in urban spaces. In rural India, internet access is growing, but the context and challenges are very different. Digital literacy remains low, digital security is a concern, and social and cultural norms still limit women’s ability to own and operate smartphones.

Women who do come online, whether for education, work or self-expression, are especially vulnerable to harassment, trolling and gendered disinformation. When incidents occur, the most common outcome is that they shut down their accounts, often because of pressure from families, community authorities, or their own fear for safety. This means that women who are only beginning to explore and experiment with the internet are quickly pushed offline. Their chance to understand and claim digital rights and freedoms is taken away before it has even begun.

This makes it urgent to address gendered disinformation in rural contexts. Safe digital spaces must be accessible to all, including women on the margins, who have an equal right to express themselves without the risk of being threatened, defamed or shamed. 

The absence of terms like “misinformation” or “disinformation” in everyday vocabulary does not mean these problems do not exist. In rural areas, they often appear as online moral policing, manipulated images, or defamatory content that can have serious offline consequences, from social stigma to loss of access to phones and the internet.

Understanding how women in places like Chitrakoot or Banda navigate digital spaces, the risks they face, and the cultural consequences they live with is the first step. Without this context, efforts to address gendered disinformation will remain incomplete.

Sejal: Social media use in rural India has grown rapidly with the spread of affordable smartphones and cheap data, giving people new ways to connect, share and even earn. But this new visibility also comes with heightened risks. First-time users are vulnerable to scams and mis/disinformation, while women face gendered harassment, morphed images, and smear campaigns that can quickly spiral in tightly knit communities where reputation shapes livelihood and safety. 

Gendered disinformation is not just an online problem. In rural contexts it carries direct offline consequences, isolating women from families and neighbours, threatening their ability to work, and silencing their voices. 

Addressing it is urgent if we want rural India’s digital expansion to be an opportunity for inclusion, not another site of exclusion and harm. Access alone doesn’t equal freedom; when gendered disinformation dictates how rural women “should” or “should not” be online, platforms remain unsafe spaces.

What can readers expect from this partnership between APC and Chambal Media, and how can it help tackle the issue?

Srishti: For us at Chambal Media, this partnership with APC is an opportunity to begin a grassroots-led discourse on gendered disinformation, grounded in the lived experiences of women in rural India. It draws on two sets of first-hand insights: those of rural women navigating the internet for education, work or self-expression, and those of Khabar Lahariya reporters who rely on smartphones and online platforms in their daily work as journalists, while also using them for leisure and personal expression.

Our aim was to bring together these authentic perspectives from rural India and have a conversation with researchers, academics and journalists who are studying disinformation. By doing so, we hope to bring forth the specific gaps and contextual challenges that shape how gendered disinformation operates in rural settings.

For our local audiences, this work is also a first step in introducing the idea of gendered disinformation, what it means, what forms it can take, and what they can do in response. It is as much about creating awareness and starting conversations in rural communities as it is about contributing to broader global and academic debates on the subject.

Sejal: Chambal Media has deep roots in rural communities and long-standing experience amplifying women’s voices through journalism. This partnership will bring together research, storytelling and grassroots perspectives to unpack how gendered disinformation operates in local contexts. 

Readers can expect grounded case studies, multimedia storytelling, and insights directly from women in rural India who are navigating these challenges. Alongside these lived experiences, we are also incorporating expert insights to better understand the mechanics of gendered disinformation and to discuss possible solutions. 

The goal is not only to document the harm but also to spark conversations about safety, accountability and support systems, helping make digital spaces more inclusive for women everywhere.

The series will be published on Instagram, YouTube, and the Khabar Lahariya website, and republished on GenderIT.org. 

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