Just in November 2024, a sexualized deepfake video of Pakistani politician and Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari was published and circulated on social media. Bukhari was shocked after learning that. While sharing her personal experience in an interview she said she had to repeatedly clarify in court hearings that a video attributed to her was deepfake. “I was shattered when it came to my knowledge, my daughter hugged me and said: Mama you have to fight it out.”
The purpose of making Bukhari’s deepfake was to ruin her image in the public sphere, damage her credibility and change the perception of her followers.
This is not only the trend in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh now but the deepfake is being weaponized against women worldwide including the United States. According to a disinformation research group, there is more than 35,000 instances of deepfake content depicting 27 members of Congress 25 of them women across pornographic sites.
Technology has changed political campaigns but it has also given rise to tech-generated violence against women politicians by opposition parties and their supporters. The research also says, that nearly one in six women in Congress have been victims of such AI-generated content.
Meanwhile, in Pakistan, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested three individuals accused of editing and sharing pictures of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz with United Arab Emirates (UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. About 20 social media accounts were responsible for sharing her fake images and videos_ according to FIA. The videos and fake images of the Chief Minister were shared by supporters of the opposition party.
Women politicians are more vulnerable in religious and conservative countries, after videos going viral jeopardizing their political career. The weaponization of AI, especially through deepfakes and online harassment, has made the political space a dangerous place for women in the global south. It’s not just about the attacks themselves but the ripple effects they create. A single fake video or a flood of hateful comments can not only ruin reputations but also bring real-world consequences.
Deepfake and its impact on democracy
These tools are often weaponised to amplify misogyny, targeting women with fabricated scandals, harassment, and disinformation campaigns. The intent is to discredit their leadership, minimise their credibility, and ultimately, to discourage their participation in politics. It goes without saying that such content is very harmful to and for individual women, but it also reinforces systemic barriers for women aspiring to leadership roles or moving up in their careers, especially when they have fought hard-won battles in their homes to enter and participate in public spaces. Zoya Rehman, an Islamabad-based political organizer and independent researcher tells MDI.
Zoya says ‘’Deepfakes targeting women politicians in this context can be particularly devastating because our society links a woman’s worth and body to her “honour,” which can be irreparably tarnished by fabricated content, regardless of its authenticity being debunked later. Deepfakes add another layer of violence, as they exploit and amplify societal biases that question women’s legitimacy and worth in leadership roles.’’
She adds “Deepfakes targeting women in politics erode trust in democratic institutions by exploiting existing gender biases. In societies like Pakistan, where political discourse is often shaped by sensationalist, irresponsible media practices, deepfakes can become tools of political warfare. They silence dissent, discourage women from participating in politics, and shift the focus away from substantive issues to scandal and spectacle. This not only undermines individual women but also weakens the democratic process by marginalising diverse voices and reinforcing male-dominated power structures”.
Online harassment and young political activists
When AI is weaponized, it reinforces a hostile political environment for young women also, making their fight for representation even harder.
‘’Growing up, I was a political enthusiast. Throughout my student life, I actively participated in political movements and discussions, dreaming of a future where I could make a difference through leadership. Politics felt like my calling, and I believed I could inspire change. But now, I’ve had to say goodbye to that dream. The constant online targeting and harassment of female politicians have made me deeply concerned, not just for myself but for my family as people not only target you online but also your family’’, tells a young political and social activist Asma Tariq
Asma says the major difference between fake videos and images of men and women politicians is “deepfake content portrays women politicians involved in activities that their society forbids or it shows them involved in sexual activities. The focus is always on women’s appearances, gender, clothes and their personal relationships”.
Zoya argues, “ The assumption is that in the Global North, institutional safeguards like privacy laws, robust media accountability, and digital forensics may offer some protection; however, we lack such mechanisms in countries like Pakistan. This results in the rapid spread of such harm with little recourse for victims. Globally, AI poses dangers to women’s leadership by enabling targeted harassment, amplifying gender bias in algorithms, and creating barriers to equal representation. However, the dangers are magnified in places like Pakistan due to multiple intersecting challenges: lack of regulatory frameworks, widespread gender inequality, and the digital divide”.
