(AFP) — Founder says Facebook has deleted a women-only group in Pakistan boasting over 300,000 members who used it as a platform to openly discuss taboo subjects, according to AFP.
Established in 2013, Soul Sisters Pakistan served as a supportive community for women to exchange information on topics such as sex, divorce, and domestic violence—subjects often considered unsuitable for public discourse in Pakistan.
Kanwal Ahmed, the group’s founder, expressed deep concern over the removal, highlighting the group’s significance for women in Pakistan who now lack a space for such discussions.
Facebook reportedly removed the group late Wednesday citing an unspecified “intellectual property violation” linked to a post, leaving Ahmed perplexed as no specific post was highlighted.
Ahmed, recognized as a community leader by Facebook in 2018 due to the group’s impact, emphasized that the content mainly consisted of personal stories and anonymous posts.
AFP reached out to Facebook for comment but received no response.
The group provided a platform for members to offer informal support, including legal advice and emotional assistance, on topics that often face societal stigma if discussed publicly.
Shmyla Khan, a digital rights researcher in Lahore, criticized the arbitrary and opaque manner in which social media platforms enforce community guidelines, particularly disadvantaging users in the Global South.
Soul Sisters Pakistan has previously faced criticism for allegedly promoting divorce and behavior challenging traditional norms.
According to UN Women, over 80 percent of women in Pakistan have reported harassment in public places, while around a quarter have experienced physical or emotional violence from their spouse or partner, as per a 2017-2018 health ministry survey.
The removal of Soul Sisters Pakistan underscores the prevalence of online censorship in Pakistan, where platforms like X have faced consistent disruptions by the government. TikTok has been banned twice over “inappropriate content,” while YouTube faced a ban from 2012 to 2016 over blasphemous content.
