As our lives become increasingly digital, social media platforms and other online services have become as essential to daily life as any other utility. However, these platforms have also become a mirror reflecting the persistent real-world issues of gender-based harassment and abuse.
Scholars and numerous other others are working to maintain their understanding of these issues in line with rapid technological advancements. While many individuals have shied away from or missed opportunities in this digital era, others have flourished socially and economically by seizing the robust opportunities the internet has to offer.
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) is defined as any act that is committed, assisted, or amplified by the use of information communication technologies or other digital tools, resulting in or likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological, social, political, or economic harm, or other infringements of rights and freedoms.
This type of abuse encompasses several direct and continuously evolving forms of violence, such as image-based abuse (including the distribution of non-consensual intimate imagery), doxxing (the sharing of personal information), impersonation, catfishing, threats of violence, stalking and monitoring, cyber surveillance (including device or app misuse), harassment and abuse, gendered hate speech, misogynoir, and gendered disinformation. These forms of violence not only cause distress to victims and survivors but can also jeopardize their physical safety offline and threaten their livelihoods by discouraging participation in the workforce and public life.
Having worked in the media industry for over ten years, I managed to overcome my fears after attending a digital safety training programme organized by the Association of Media Women in Kenya in partnership with Pollicy. This training equipped us with the tools to navigate online platforms safely. Sharing experiences among participants—comprising journalists, content creators, bloggers, politicians, women’s advocacy groups, and civic tech organizations—was particularly invaluable. The forum aimed to provide women with the skills necessary for safe navigation of online spaces.
Among the participants was an award-winning multimedia journalist and communication for development specialist, Lourdes Walusala, who shared her story about how her work caused her pain a few years ago. She recounted her experience of losing her first child due to a pregnancy-related complication, an event that ignited her passion for advocating for maternal health.
It was during her quest to advocate for maternal health in 2014 that Walusala’s idea for a story on safe abortion was birthed. After visiting a friend in hospital, she encountered a woman in distress, crying in pain after losing her only daughter due to a botched abortion. This experience deeply affected Walusala and motivated her to explore the subject of abortion further.
“The maternal health advocate in me decided to write a blog post on safe abortion. That is when I became a victim of online abuse.’’ She said.
After conducting thorough research and publishing her blog on abortion, Walusala said she faced hostility from a displeased reader who inundated her post with abusive comments. These attacks, she believes, were not only aimed at her as a journalist but also as a woman. She was accused of misleading women, ‘killing’ her unborn child, and criticized for never having experienced a miscarriage.
“I would delete his comments, but the perpetrator kept reposting them and following me into my inbox with more abuses.” she lamented.
Despite managing to block him, Walusala felt emotionally and psychologically bruised and struggled to cope with the online abuse.She endured her suffering in silence, ceasing to use social media both personally and professionally, and began to grieve her unborn child anew.
Walusala is not alone. Cathy Irungu, a community mobiliser and politician, also shared her own experiences of online harassment that impacted her political ambitions. Reflecting on her entry into politics at a young age, Irungu noted that being an unmarried young woman made her the subject of personal attacks online, significantly affecting her young political career.
These experiences, along with many others that remain unreported, prompted Amwik, in partnership with Pollicy, to establish mentorship programmes to help women navigate digital spaces safely. They recommend enhancing digital safety by promoting robust security measures, such as password managers and two-factor authentication, as tools to empower women in protecting their online identities. Additionally, they advocate for training sessions on cybersecurity best practices to further equip individuals with essential skills.
Queenter Mboori, Executive Director of the Association of Media Women in Kenya, called for a collective approach to tackling technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TF-GBV). She underscored the importance of strengthening legal frameworks, improving reporting mechanisms on digital platforms, and providing greater psychosocial support for victims.
“No single entity can tackle TF-GBV alone. It is critical that we work together—government, civil society, and the private sector—to create safer online spaces for women and girls,” she asserted.
She argues that TFGBV is not an intractable problem; rather, it needs to be mainstreamed in order to be effectively mitigated, emphasizing women’s experiences in wider policy discussions. The responsibility for addressing TFGBV should not rest solely with women’s advocacy groups. Technology companies, governments, civic tech organizations, law enforcement, employers, schools, and others must integrate their efforts to combat TFGBV, reflecting its pervasive impact on society.
Social media plays a vital role in journalistic practices.Creating effective legal remedies for victims is essential for ensuring accountability in cases of online violence. Advocacy for stronger laws addressing online harassment must be paired with awareness campaigns that inform victims about their rights and the legal options available to them. Additionally, building robust community support networks is crucial in combating TF-GBV, as these networks can provide solidarity among victims who have faced similar challenges, fostering collective action against online violence.
What needs to be done?
According to a report by UNESCO, nearly three-quarters of women identifying as respondents in the ICFJ survey reported experiencing online violence in the course of their work. Threats of physical violence, including death threats, were reported by 25% of these women, while 18% identified incidents of sexual violence.
Research indicates that online violence against women journalists is designed to belittle, humiliate, and shame; induce fear, silence, and retreat; discredit them professionally, thereby undermining accountability journalism and trust in facts; and chill their active participation, along with that of their sources, colleagues, and audiences, in public debate.
To address this, practical solutions to the specific and pressing issues affecting women and girls online should concentrate on training them to recognize how various forms of digital attacks manifest and providing them with strategies to protect themselves. AMWIK already offers personal security training for female journalists and has developed resources, including a digital security factsheet and handbook, to help mitigate risks in their work.
Educational initiatives should focus on data privacy and recognising signs of online abuse, fostering a culture of security awareness. Furthermore, the psychological impact of TF-GBV highlights the need for comprehensive psychosocial support services for victims. Providing counselling services and support groups can assist individuals in coping with emotional distress and rebuilding their confidence.
Emily Kenik is a Radio Journalist at KBC and a member of AMWIK.
