As incidents of technology facilitated gender based Violence (GBV) continue rising in Kenya, Youth for a Sustainable World (YSW) in collaboration with different partners held a major Public Outreach to educate the community on Digital Violence against women as a part of the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
Speaking at the event held in Makadara, High Court Judge Patricia Nyaundi, a member of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) and chief guest at the forum, urged survivors of both offline and online abuse to report incidents promptly as they were covered within the law.
“We have statutes addressing cyberbullying and cybercrimes. Prosecutors and investigators can determine whether a gadget has been misused or abused,” she said. “The Sexual Offences Act now covers offences such as sharing nude images. Recently, we have seen an upsurge in the abuse of women and girls through digital platforms, including publication of intimate photos and body shaming.”
The event brought together judicial officers, police leadership, civil society, and community members for a full day of legal aid, psychosocial support, medical services, and public engagement aimed at improving access to justice for survivors of online and offline violence.
Opening the event, National police service representative Caroline Njuguna urged the public to watch out for one another and report any version of SGBV cases to the police.
“Survivors should report the incidents at the GBV desk in a police station or through available institutional portals like the newly launched GBV portal at United States International University-Africa (USIU). Officers should record the complaint with confidentiality and sensitivity.”
She offered further advised survivors to preserve evidence for their legal case. “Survivors are advised not to delete messages, screenshots, emails, or posts this will enable digital forensics teams to extract data where needed, though this is an area where capacity gaps still exist.”
Njuguna said they have observed an upsurge in digital violence especially in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as systems struggle to keep up.
“Our preparedness as a country is improving, especially with the rise of AI, but there is still significant work to be done. Security agencies, government bodies, and digital platforms must work together, because violence has now moved beyond the physical space into the online environment. As more people embrace AI and digital tools, online violence continues to rise.” She said.
The event which was held to promote awareness in the community on technology facilitated violence and bridge the gap in knowledge by informing the community about their rights.
“We are seeing more survivors coming forward with cases rooted in social media, messaging apps, and other digital platforms,” Honorable Nyaundi said. “Yet many do not know the law protects them. Today is about bridging that gap and giving the public direct access to legal guidance.”
She added, “Many people hesitate to report because they believe nothing will be done. But things are changing, young, well-trained officers are now working in these spaces, and failure to report undermines data collection and affects policy development.”
YSW -Project Lead Fidelis Athiambo, emphasized on the need for collaboration as the event aims to close persistent gaps between the justice system and the communities it serves.
“Ending digital violence requires collaboration. Survivors need information, timely support, and institutions that work together.” He said.
On their part, YSW helps survivors by connecting them with needed services including legal and psychosocial support. They achieve this through a multi-sectoral collaboration.
“We link them to access-to-justice platforms. We work closely with community paralegals, court user committees, and the police to address GBV both as a criminal issue and through psychosocial support.”
As the 16 Days of Activism continue, partners pledged to sustain legal outreach efforts and push for stronger laws, better police training, and improved survivor support systems.
