By Juliet Akoth
Nairobi, Kenya: Njeri Migwi is a prominent human rights defender and the co-founder of Usikimye, a Kenyan non-profit organization dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Through her extensive social media presence, with over 26,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter) and 80,000 on Facebook, Migwi leverages these platforms as crucial tools to raise awareness, offer support to survivors, and advocate for transformative societal change.
As a survivor of GBV herself, having endured an abusive marriage that left her partially deaf in her left ear, Migwi’s personal journey partly informs and fuels her commitment to this cause. Her advocacy, however, has not come without challenges. She faces relentless trolling, hate speech, and targeted harassment online—cruel manifestations of the very issue she seeks to combat. These experiences serve as a stark reminder of the harsh realities of the Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TGBV), further underscoring the urgency of addressing this problem.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Technology-facilitated gender-based violence is an act of violence perpetrated by one or more individuals that is committed, assisted, aggravated, and amplified in part or fully by the use of information and communication technologies or digital media, against a person on the basis of their gender.
“Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence is a very real and pervasive issue. The comments I receive are often extremely negative, destructive, and degrading,” said Migwi in an interview with Talk Africa.
She admits that the relentless nature of these attacks has profoundly affected her mental health leading to burnout. In her words, this year has been particularly challenging due to the increase in GBV and femicide cases.
“I’ve had security for the past four months and one of the main reasons for doing so was due to an online threat I received on one of my posts. The troll threatened to rape me, which felt extremely personal and terrifying. My friends advised me to take down the post, which I did, and I also sought security because that incident really shook me up,” she said. Her security now ensures safety in the event of planned attacks, given the complex nature of her work on GBV cases and the risk of online threats escalating into physical violence.
Online abuse can take many forms and can include actions like bullying, stalking, sexual harassment, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, and hate speech.
A joint 2020 study by the Web Foundation and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts found that TGBV was getting worse. Additionally, this situation disproportionately affects women of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those from marginalized communities, often forcing them to limit their participation in digital spaces.
Chris, (not their real name) a dedicated advocate for sexual and reproductive health and LGBTQ+ rights, shares their experiences with tech-based gender-based violence (TGBV). As a team lead at the Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity Advocacy Organization, Chris has witnessed how online violence disproportionately affects the LGBTQ+ community.
“I’ve experienced online bullying and threats,” Chris explains. “Whenever I post about LGBTQ+ rights or issues like safe abortion, people use pseudonyms to attack me personally, targeting my gender identity and sexual orientation. It’s a way to discredit the information I’m trying to share.”
To protect their main Twitter/X account, where they’ve “invested” significant time building a professional presence and network, Chris created two additional accounts. “Losing my main account because people disagree with my views would be devastating,” they say. “The extra accounts allow me to engage in controversial conversations without risking the main account.”
On Facebook, however, Chris eventually stopped using their account due to persistent bullying over their views.
Another dimension of the TGBV problem lies in the responsibility of social media companies, whose platforms often serve as primary spaces for online abuse. According to digital security trainer and founder of Digital Dada Podcast Cecilia Maundu, social media platforms need to be tasked to do more to protect their online users from online violence.
She points out that platforms like X (formerly Twitter) are notorious sites for coordinated misogynistic attacks, where groups of users (cyber mobs) target women and LGBTQIA+ individuals in an attempt to silence them. “X is notorious for harboring these ‘misogyny clubs’ who take it as their duty to shut down voices they disagree with,” she said.
Journalists, particularly women, are not exempt from this scourge of online abuse. As a broadcast journalist herself, Maundu has been a victim of such attacks, highlighting the isolating nature of this violence. She emphasizes that journalists often endure these attacks alone, as their employers frequently fail to provide adequate support.
“Targeted online attacks against journalists occur across all platforms, but they are especially prevalent on Twitter,” she explains. “This is largely because many journalists use Twitter to share their stories, as it is a key source of information and updates for a wide audience.” Maundu also voiced growing concerns about the rise of similar harassment on TikTok, a newer platform. She stressed the urgent need for structures to address and curb this troubling trend.
A 2022 study by UNESCO and the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) found that female journalists experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of sustained online abuse, underscoring the severe mental health impact of such attacks.
Involving Local Authorities
Reporting TGBV remains a frustrating and often fruitless process, as highlighted by Usikimye co-founder Njeri Migwi. She describes the repetitive cycle of blocking and reporting abusive users, with little to no action taken against offenders.
“I’ve endured harassment from the same man on Facebook for five years,” Migwi shares. “He continuously posts explicit images alongside disturbing threats involving a child, taunting me with claims that there’s nothing I can do. Despite blocking and reporting him multiple times, he keeps creating new accounts. Even after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) promised to track him down, no progress has been made.”
Migwi also expressed deep frustration with the authorities’ sluggish response to the country’s numerous femicide cases. Earlier this year, her organization helped organize the End Femicide March, aiming to demand justice for victims and condemn violence against women. Yet, many cases remain unresolved, with perpetrators still free.
“Sometimes, I question if we’re truly making any inroads in addressing the mountain of gender-based violence. It feels like every day brings a new wave of violence,” she lamented.
Echoing her statements, Chris, the SRHR and LGBTQ+ advocate explained how systemic discrimination deters victims from seeking help.
“Many in the queer community no longer believe in the police or judicial systems because our cases are rarely taken seriously,” Chris says. “When someone goes to report an incident, the first contact person at a police station often re-traumatizes them with intrusive and irrelevant questions. They lack understanding of queer identities and dynamics, making the process even more difficult.”
The challenges extend to legal action, which is frequently inaccessible due to high costs. However, broadcast journalist Maundu points to a glimmer of hope:
“I’m glad to see organizations stepping in to cover legal fees for victims of online gender-based violence. Hopefully, within the next year or two, more people will feel empowered to come forward.”
Existing Laws
In 2018, Kenya prohibited cyber harassment through the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, which in part, prescribes it as indecent or grossly offensive communication.
As per the 2018 law, a person found guilty of cyber harassment is liable to a Sh. 20 million fine or imprisoned for not more than 10 years. Yet the law itself has its limitations and has failed to successfully address issues such as Technology Facilitated Gender Based Violence.
According to Lucy Bosibori, an advocate of the High Court of Kenya working at the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Kenya, the evolving nature of technology has brought the Act’s sufficiency and adaptability into question. “We are now grappling with novel forms of online gender-based violence such as virtual reality pornography, online grooming, doing, and exploitation of young girls and women, which the Act contemplates not,” said Bosibori .
She also notes that the Act makes provisions for investigating procedures but fails to provide for clearly defined risk mitigation, data preservation and case management strategies or the appropriate training of police officers tasked with search and seizure of material.
Furthermore, worldwide interconnectedness has promoted cross-jurisdictional abuse, yet the Act makes mention of international commitments to be invoked only through the Mutual Legal Assistance Act and the Extradition (Contiguous and Foreign Countries) Act. This only serves to delay the curtailment of perpetrators. Elaborate and transparent reporting and accountability mechanisms are not provided for nor does the Act speak on protecting survivors’/ victims’ welfare and psychosocial support. In a country where digitization is embraced with open arms, the Act makes no mention of efforts geared towards enhancing digital literacy and cyber resilience of women.
Moreover, Bosibori reiterates that “Other laws such as the Kenya Information and Communication Act, 2012 provide the framework for regulating the ICT sector but does not explicitly deal with conduct which would amount to online violence against women.” Even the Protection from Domestic Violence Act, 2022 addresses intimate partner domestic violence but does not provide for online violence gender-based violence. This means that, at present, there are no laws specifically addressing the impact of gender-based violence in the digital sphere.
Solutions to Mitigate TGBV
- Digital Literacy Training
According to the Deputy Regional Center Manager for the Safe Program at IREX and digital safety trainer Ephraim Muchemi, digital literacy training is important for all stakeholders, including policymakers, law enforcement, and everyday social media users. “You can have a law, but if the implementers don’t even understand it or are not digitally literate, implementation is next to zero,” he explains. This gap affects reporting mechanisms, making victims feel unsupported.
Muchemi adds that digital literacy should extend beyond individuals to institutions and organizations. For example, employees must understand terms like sextortion and recognize digital harassment within workplace contexts. He suggests that organizations such the Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK) which has a platform for reporting various forms of harassment should also offer training and psychological support for victims.
- Early Education and Community-Based Approaches
When it comes to educating the masses, Muchemi proposes a community-oriented approach to digital literacy, similar to how traditional African communities taught sex education through mentorship by elders. “If we educate people early about the responsible use of technology, just as we educate about responsible drinking, we can reduce online gender-based violence,” he notes. This includes teaching young users about online safety, ethical behavior, and the psychological impacts of harmful content.
- Managing Digital Profiles and Security
On an individual level, Muchemi advises users to carefully manage their digital profiles by limiting the exposure of personal information such as home addresses, family details, and school locations. Simple practices like using strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and avoiding suspicious links can also reduce vulnerability to phishing, stalking, and spyware—tools frequently used in TGBV cases.
- Social Media Platform Responsibility
On the other hand, digital safety trainer Cecilia Maindu called for social media platforms to take greater responsibility for user protection. “These platforms are businesses, and their priority is advertisers, not end users. While they’ve introduced tools like privacy settings and community guidelines, they need to do much more,” she asserts.
Maundu underscores that platforms must now address the misuse of “freedom of expression” as a shield for perpetrators of online violence. She also highlighted Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as a useful model for holding tech companies accountable, suggesting the need for Africa to adopt similar frameworks. She also advocates for the creation of African-based platforms to address the unique challenges of the region, though funding and user trust remain significant barriers.
By combining digital literacy, cultural education, personal security practices, platform accountability, and sustained advocacy, these solutions can create a safer digital environment and aid in the reduction of the prevalence of Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence.
This story was produced with the support of a grant from Africa Uncensored in collaboration with the Institute for War and Peace Reporting.
