After three years of working as a freelance journalist, Anna wanted to dive deeper into the topics she was interested in and was introduced to research-based policy advice. A part-time job at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) got her interested in Africa-EU relations whilst pursuing a master’s degree in political science at the University of Bonn. Today at SWP, she's part of the “Megatrends Afrika” project, where she is in charge of external communications and contributes to the research of the project. Her research interests include conflict management, early warning and response as well as disinformation in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Policy Project: Game of Tropes. Gender-Based Disinformation as a New Frontier for Foreign Influence Operations in Eastern Africa.
Gendered disinformation in countries like Kenya and Uganda threatens democracy by promoting political power as solely masculine and heteronormative. Such campaigns aim to marginalize women and queer communities in politics by discrediting their influence. There's evidence that Russian influence operations in Eastern Africa, including Uganda, Sudan, and Kenya, are utilizing these gendered narratives to advance their "traditional values" stance in foreign policy. In particular, Russia praised Uganda's anti-homosexuality law, framing LGBTQ rights as a Western imposition. This approach questions Western states with feminist and gender-sensitive policies, like Germany, portraying them as unsuitable partners. Concurrently, Russia presents itself as Africa's anti-colonial ally, even forming alliances at the UN against recognizing queer rights as human rights. With Germany now focusing on its feminist foreign policies and its recent strategies against disinformation, the nation must recognize the potential risks posed by gendered disinformation. Such narratives could target Western efforts, with Moscow exploiting domestic debates to challenge Western values. Policymakers need to anticipate and counter these influence campaigns, ensuring they continue to represent democratic values globally.
