The Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) and partners have launched a report on technology-facilitated violence against women and girls in Sub-Saharan Africa. Titled "The Digital Harm Effect: Confronting Technology-Facilitated Violence Against Women and Girls in Africa: A Case Study of Nigeria and Kenya," the report was unveiled in Abuja. It is a joint effort with the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Kenya and supported by the United Nations Trust Fund (UNTF). Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, research lead and editor, said the study found widespread stigma and underreporting of online abuse, including cyberstalking, image-based abuse and online harassment. Some young women surveyed reported contemplating suicide due to the severity of the abuse. The research also identified cases where digital platforms offering financial support below N100,000 exploited women. The project has reached 2,000 people across Nigeria and Kenya. Dr Princess Olufemi-Kayode, WARDC's Acting Executive Director, urged public education on safe digital navigation and called for updated laws to address challenges posed by emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. Dr Adedayo Laniyi-Benjamins, Mandate Secretary of the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, emphasized the need to identify and hold accountable perpetrators of technology-enabled gender-based violence. Evelyn Ugbe, Executive Director of the Centre for Redefining Alternative Civic Engagement for Africa (RACE), said AI-driven manipulation of images and videos has deepened psychological trauma for survivors lacking psychosocial support. RACE has established the Feminist Digital Watch, a safe space for survivors, and is setting up digital safety clubs in schools to promote responsible technology use.
Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi points to widespread underreporting of online abuse, yet the report covers only Nigeria and Kenya despite claiming regional relevance. The project reached just 2,000 people, raising questions about how representative the findings are across Sub-Saharan Africa. If digital exploitation is already pushing some young women to contemplate suicide, the scale of support offered appears minimal against the stated crisis. The launch of safety clubs and survivor spaces is specific, but their long-term reach remains unclear from the data provided.
💡 NaijaBuzz is an AI-assisted news aggregator. This content is curated from third-party sources — NaijaBuzz is not the original publisher and is not responsible for the accuracy of source reporting. The NaijaBuzz Take is AI-assisted editorial opinion only, not established fact. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. NaijaBuzz does not endorse the views expressed in source articles.
