Facebook Removed Women-only Support Group in Pakistan, Sparking Controversy

Facebook has removed a women-only group in Pakistan that boasted over 300,000 members and served as a platform for discussing taboo topics, its founder revealed on Friday. Soul Sisters Pakistan, established in 2013, functioned as a support network for women, offering a safe space to discuss topics such as sex, divorce, and domestic violence—issues often considered off-limits in public discourse.

Kanwal Ahmed, the group’s founder, expressed her disappointment, stating, “This group means so much to women in Pakistan who now have nowhere to go.”

Facebook reportedly deleted the group on Wednesday, citing an unspecified “intellectual property violation” related to a post, but did not specify which post had violated its policies. Ahmed, whom Facebook recognized as a community leader in 2018 due to the group’s success, lamented, “It’s literally personal stories and anonymous posts.” AFP has reached out to Facebook for comment.

Facebook Removed Women-only Support Group in Pakistan, Sparking Controversy

The group provided a platform for members to offer informal help, including legal advice and emotional support, on topics that might otherwise have attracted abuse if discussed publicly.

“The suspension of Soul Sisters Pakistan highlights the arbitrary and opaque manner in which social media platforms operate, and how their community guidelines can sometimes work against users in the Global South,” noted Shmyla Khan, a digital rights researcher in Lahore.

Soul Sisters Pakistan had previously faced criticism from detractors who accused it of advocating divorce and “wild” behaviour that challenged traditional and patriarchal norms.

UN Women reports that more than 80 per cent of women in Pakistan have reported experiencing harassment in public spaces. Additionally, a 2017-2018 health ministry survey found that approximately a quarter of women have experienced physical or emotional violence from their husbands or partners.

“I feel lost without the group,” said Shiza, a member who preferred to use only her first name. “This is where I used to go when life seemed too difficult to bear.”

Pakistan has a history of disrupting social media platforms. Following the national election in February, which was marred by rigging allegations, the government has consistently disrupted social media platform X. TikTok has also faced bans by the telecommunications authorities over “inappropriate content,” with the bans lifted only after assurances of improved content moderation. Between October and December, TikTok removed more than 18 million videos. The country also banned YouTube from 2012 to 2016 over content considered blasphemous.

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