WOUGNET report finds surveillance is restricting women’s public participation in Uganda
A Women of Uganda Network report documents suspected surveillance, account compromise and gender-based online attacks affecting women in public-facing roles. The study also identifies low institutional trust and a wider chilling effect on civic participation.
Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) published a report in March 2026 examining spyware and digital surveillance targeting women journalists, lawyers, activists, human rights defenders and other public-facing professionals in Uganda.
The report, Spyware and Digital Surveillance Targeting Women in Uganda, was produced through the project Doc It & Reclaim the Net, with support from the Association for Progressive Communications. It is based on a survey of 16 purposively selected respondents and is not statistically representative of all women in Uganda.
According to the study, 81.3% of respondents believed their communications had been monitored or interfered with. The same proportion reported suspicious links, malware warnings or account takeovers, while half reported online harassment or impersonation.
The report describes the surveillance as closely connected to public-interest work, including election-related activity, anti-corruption advocacy and investigations involving government accountability.
It also identifies gender-specific forms of targeting. Of those surveyed, 87.5% said women in public roles were targeted differently from men. Reported tactics included sexualised harassment, threats of sexual violence, reputational attacks, exposure of private information and threats involving family members.
All respondents said surveillance affected their willingness to speak publicly. A further 87.5% said it affected organising or mobilising and their willingness to seek leadership positions.
The study also reports low confidence in police and regulatory bodies. Respondents cited fear of retaliation, victim-blaming and limited access to effective remedies as barriers to reporting.
WOUGNET calls for stronger legal accountability, gender-responsive digital security programmes and improved technical, legal, psychosocial and emergency support for women affected by surveillance.
