"It Has Reached Crisis Levels": Confronting Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence in Kenya

We work in supporting initiatives that not only identify critical issues but also create the vital spaces needed to address them. In a moment when digital spaces are increasingly becoming arenas for abuse, the need for focused, solution-oriented dialogue has never been more urgent.

 Our recent collaboration with Sauti Sessions, a platform founded by Ian Wafula, is a monthly civic dialogue and storytelling platform that provides a powerful space for public engagement. The platform brings together thought leaders, youth, artists, activists, and public figures to discuss justice, democracy, protest, governance, and everyday life in Kenya.

Our collaboration, centred on the critical topic of tech-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), a timely conversation in a moment when digital spaces are increasingly becoming arenas for abuse, the need for focused, solution-oriented dialogue has never been more critical. 

Following that impactful edition, we sat down with Wafula to discuss the inspiration behind Sauti Sessions, why this partnership was so pivotal, and what he hopes will be the lasting impact of bringing survivors, experts, and citizens together to confront one of the most pervasive forms of abuse today.

1. What inspired the creation of Sauti Sessions and how does it serve as a platform for dialogue in Kenya? What are some of the collaborations you have done? 

 Sauti Sessions was born out of a vision to create a platform not just to highlight important and topical issues but also to give Kenyans a space to have in-depth, meaningful discussions on these issues, with the goal of holding those in positions of responsibility to account and driving change. Young people are at the core of that vision, given that they represent the future and are at times pushed to the margins of our national discourse. What we do at Sauti Sessions is identify these issues and develop parameters to guide the in-person discussions we hold at the Baraza Media Lab monthly. 

So far, we have had 5 editions covering a variety of topics. The first edition was on leadership, featuring the former chief justice, David Maraga; the second on the femicide crisis in Kenya; the third on the weaponisation of terrorism charges to muzzle dissent; the fourth on digital violence; and the fifth on the civic responsibility of content creators. 

We collaborated with CNN Equals for the femicide edition, Siasa Place and Africa Uncensored for the weaponisation of terrorism charges edition, and HBS for the digital violence edition. Baraza Media Lab has been our venue partner for all editions. 

2. Why was this collaboration with the Heinrich Böll Foundation important, particularly for addressing digital violence and TFGBV? 

The support of the Heinrich Böll Foundation was instrumental to the success of the fourth edition, whose thematic focus was digital violence and TFGBV. Thanks to the foundation's generous financial support, Sauti Sessions was able to cover the costs of putting together the event. This collaboration brought on board experts on digital violence and TFGBV, an important ingredient that ensured that the discussion of the day was informative. Members of the audience who graced the edition were treated to snacks and refreshments, which went a long way toward making their experience bearable, given the heaviness of the topic under discussion. 

 There was an art exhibition on the theme of digital violence that would not have been possible without this collaboration. The exhibitors received monetary awards for their work thanks to the foundation's support. We were also able to bring on board performing artists who not only entertained the audience but also used their art to highlight issues relevant to the topic of discussion. 

3. Why do you believe a focused discussion on tech-facilitated gender based violence is urgent at this time? 

I strongly believe that a focused discussion on the scourge of TFGBV is urgent. The 2025 16 Days of Activism identified digital violence against women as an emergency and one of the fastest-growing forms of abuse. It is a discussion that cannot be delayed. This is because this is a vice that has become normalised in our society, getting worse by the day, and showing no signs of abatement. I feel that those who engage in it, or are likely to, lack an appreciation of the damage it causes and the devastating impact it has on victims. The discussion is important not only to raise awareness about TFGBV but also to dispel the notion among its perpetrators that it is acceptable. 

4. What connections do you see between online harm and its offline consequences, including its escalation into severe forms of GBV, including femicide? And how did they come out during the Sauti Session? 

There is a strong link between online harm and physical gender-based violence, including femicide. As became clear during the fifth edition of Sauti Sessions, online abuse opens the pathway to physical harm. Digital platforms provide perpetrators with the tools to gather private information like addresses or life patterns, which may be used to physically harm the women targeted. Disturbing cases of women who were physically attacked or even killed after being stalked online were shared. 

5. What gaps or challenges in digital safety and online GBV are there? Did the dialogue address this? In your opinion what perpetuates these challenges? 

The gaps that allow TFGBV to continue unchecked were an important plank of the Sauti Sessions discussion on digital violence. There was unanimity among the panellists that the legal frameworks and platforms’ community guidelines designed to act as guardrails against digital violence are insufficient and need strengthening. The vagueness of the cybercrime law is a gap that is often exploited by perpetrators of TFGBV to evade accountability, as was observed by Prof. Joyce Muchemi, a criminal justice expert and one of the panellists in the discussion. 

There is also the challenge of algorithms amplifying misogyny by giving posts that attack women significant reach, a point that was made by Zaha Indimuli. Twitter was cited as a platform where the most vicious attacks on women emanate. 

Another challenge that has allowed digital violence to metastasise is poor implementation of the existing laws. The Kenyan government is not going after perpetrators of gender-based violence with the same zeal with which it is going for its critics. This allows a culture of impunity, where TFGBV perpetrators feel they can do what they like without consequence, to thrive. There is also a culture of victim-shaming and blaming that makes victims of online harassment keep what they are going through to themselves and suffer silently. 

6. From your experience, how is TFGBV affecting survivors, communities, and civic spaces in Kenya today? 

The impact on the mental and physical well-being of women who have survived digital violence is severe. I have talked to survivors who have described their experiences battling stress, anxiety, fear, depression, and suicidal ideation. This means that they are not able to contribute to the development of their communities to the fullest extent. Many end up losing their jobs due to damaged reputations, affecting their ability to provide for their families. The damage that TFGBV does, thus, transcends the targeted individuals. 

TFGBV also significantly impacts civic spaces. Women are not able to contribute freely to important discourses for fear of being attacked online. This, instead of elevating, diminishes the quality and diversity of public discourse 

7. As you reflect on the Sauti Session, Offline Wounds, the discussions that came out and personal stories, what impact do you hope this Sauti Session will have both immediately and in the long term?

The immediate impact I hope the fourth edition of Sauti Sessions will have is to create awareness in the society about TFGBV and what it entails. I strongly believe that the ubiquity of digital violence is driven by a lack of awareness, and we can only hope to end it if people know what it is all about and why it should not be encouraged. 

In the long term, I hope that this important discussion will culminate in better laws that will categorise digital violence as a human rights violation. I also hope that digital platforms will be more accountable, and will streamline their processes to ensure seamless reporting, and moderation. 

8. What message would you like policymakers, makers/developers of SM platforms or citizens to take away from this discussion? 

The most important message that I would like to reach all stakeholders is that tech-facilitated gender-based violence has reached crisis levels and must be concretely addressed with the seriousness and urgency it deserves. All of us, be it policymakers or app developers or citizens, must play our part. An all-hands-on-deck approach is required to stem the tide of digital violence. 

9. How do you envision future partnerships or continued work in this space, especially with human rights organisations? 

I remain committed to offering Sauti Sessions as a platform where discourse on TFGBV can happen and solutions can be proffered. This commitment includes bringing on board actors in the human rights space to contextualise these issues for the public. The work of Sauti Sessions can only be effective through collaborations with other stakeholders, of which human rights groups are an important part. It is my hope that future collaborations with human rights organisations will include contributing to research on TFGBV, generating reports, documenting digital violence against women, and jointly applying for funding from donors with an interest in ending gender-based violence in all its manifestations.