How Online Censorship and Global Policies Are Failing SRHR in MENA

By Repro Uncensored's Martha Dimitratou in conversation with Fatma Ibrahim from The Sex Talk Arabic

Across the globe, activists use digital tools to shift narratives around sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Yet for organizations in the Arab world, like The Sex Talk Arabic, this work is often met with multiple layers of censorship: from local authorities, from conservative social norms, and from the very tech platforms that claim to support open expression. Online censorship and global policy decisions—particularly those shaped by the U.S.—are not only silencing voices but directly affecting access to essential healthcare in the MENA region, including information, services, and the ability to organize.

Have you experienced censorship when sharing sexual and reproductive health information online?

Yes, we do experience censorship when sharing sexual and reproductive health information online, especially on social media platforms. This takes several forms: content removal for being deemed "explicit" even when it's clearly educational; warnings that our pages are not recommended to viewers or followers; reduced reach and visibility; and being put in “META prison” for community standard violations.

This affects the mission of our organisation. Since the launch of The Sex Talk Arabic, we have intentionally used social media to disseminate SRHR information. Our goal is to normalise conversations around sexual health and rights and to bring them out of the confined spaces of medical settings or religious institutions into the public sphere.

Censorship undermines this strategy—when our platforms are restricted or banned, and our content removed or hidden, it directly harms our ability to reach people. More importantly, it reinforces the same silences and taboos that contribute to gender-based violence in our region. One of the root causes of that violence is the lack of open, feminist, and queer-informed discussions around sexual rights and health.

Are certain types of Arabic-language content more vulnerable to censorship?

Yes. Visuals showing body parts—even illustrations or drawings—are often targeted, regardless of their educational purpose. Certain words also get flagged, even if they are not directly related to sex. For example, terms linked to STIs or reproductive justice frequently trigger content moderation, unless they’re framed within narrow, “acceptable” contexts like pregnancy or breastfeeding.

It’s somehow ok to mention nipples or breasts in relation to breastfeeding but not in relation to breast cancer.

Content that adopts a decolonial lens also tends to be censored. When we highlight the SRHR needs of women in conflict zones—like Gaza or Sudan—this type of content is frequently restricted. And of course, anything related to sex itself, including pleasure or body rights, is almost always removed.

We have developed an Arabic-language dictionary of terms related to sex and pleasure, and much of that content gets flagged or taken down.

How do U.S.-based platform policies impact your work?

The issue is that most of the platforms we work with are U.S.-based, and they’re developed with a mindset—and algorithmic logic—that’s biased against global majority contexts. Platforms like Meta or Twitter don't recognise the importance of feminist and queer SRHR activism taking place on social media.

When we argue that our content is educational and part of activism against sexual and gender-based violence, the response often questions why such work needs to happen online in the first place.

What these platforms fail to understand is that social media may be our only viable space for this type of activism. In our region, civic space is shrinking. Talking about SRHR—especially from a feminist or queer perspective—is often considered taboo, and in many cases, illegal. Organising around it, especially when led by women, youth, and queer people, is criminalised.

So we use social media deliberately—as a relatively open space—to educate, raise awareness, and shift harmful cultural norms and behaviours. We can't run public campaigns or hold on-ground events safely or completely legally, which makes online spaces essential to our activism.

But U.S.-based platform policies and community standards do not account for this reality. They mislabel our content as nudity or pornography, even when it’s clearly educational. This reinforces the very stigma and silence that fuel sexual and gender-based violence in our context. These policies are disconnected from our reality, irrelevant to our needs, and ultimately dismissive of women’s and queer people’s rights.

What the MENA Region Needs: Freedom to Educate and Organize

Sexual and reproductive rights are already under siege in many countries across the Middle East and North Africa. For advocates in the region, online space is not just a convenience—it’s a lifeline. Yet their access to this space is constantly under threat from Western tech platforms whose moderation systems fail to understand or respect regional context.

The Global Impact of U.S. Policies: USAID Cuts and the Global Gag Rule

Although not directly addressed in Fatma’s answers, it is critical to place her testimony in the context of U.S. foreign policy decisions—like recent cuts to USAID programs, or the periodic reinstatement of the Global Gag Rule. These policies often block funding to organizations that even discuss abortion, provide referrals, or work on comprehensive SRHR education. The result? Less funding, fewer resources, and increased isolation for grassroots movements doing lifesaving work in high-risk regions.

Call to Action: We Need Platform and Policy Accountability

Fatma’s final message is clear: We urgently need to rethink the way social media platforms handle content related to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), especially when it comes to feminist and queer activism and pressure these platforms for change.

Governments and international organisations must ensure that funding, including from entities like USAID, supports grassroots movements that are working in these highly restricted environments. The fight for sexual and reproductive justice cannot be confined to the offline world—it requires digital spaces where people can access information freely, engage with it, and change cultural norms.

We call for more inclusive policies, increased visibility for marginalized voices, and sustained support for feminist and queer-led SRHR movements, especially in regions where such discussions remain a matter of life and death.

Conclusion: SRHR Is a Digital Rights Issue

This conversation with The Sex Talk Arabic is part of a growing body of evidence that shows how SRHR is not just a health or human rights issue—it’s also a digital rights issue. For organizations in the MENA region and beyond, the battle for sexual health and freedom is being waged on the internet, and right now, the rules are rigged.

It’s time for platforms, funders, and global policymakers to catch up.