Many gender-based violence (GBV) survivors in Nairobi's informal settlements drop their cases because they depend on their abusers for money. Women human rights defenders told The Star that some survivors withdraw on the eve of a verdict and return to the abuser.
Damaris Nyahondo works with teen mothers and survivors under 24 through the Young Resilient Advocacy Network in Mathare. She said watching a survivor withdraw a case under pressure is heartbreaking, but the choice remains hers. Nyahondo said she does not blame them, because most are mothers whose abusers are their only breadwinners. Her community-based organisation teaches survivors skills such as making eco-friendly furniture from recycled materials. The aim is to help them earn their own money.
Esther Mbogo leads the Community Safe Resilience CBO in Kariobangi South, Ruaraka, Saika, Korogocho and Githurai. Her group tackles GBV alongside substance abuse and environmental injustice. Mbogo said the road to justice is rarely straightforward, even after women are taken to safety and police are informed. According to The Star, police ridicule and administrative delays often discourage survivors.
These problems took centre stage at a recent two-day workshop in Nairobi hosted by the Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRD) Hub. Activists, community defenders and journalists met to examine technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). Stephanie Wangui, a programmes officer at the Hub, said its e-monitor platform found X to be the top platform for severe online abuse of women. Facebook, Instagram and TikTok followed closely. Wangui said harmful stereotyping is the most common form. She added that AI deepfakes are used to manipulate images of women in public life.
The Star also cited figures on the scale of the problem. Baseline findings from UNFPA show that 37 per cent of women nationally have experienced TFGBV, rising to 39 per cent in urban centres. A study by ICJ Kenya found that 42 per cent of women journalists targeted online later faced physical attacks or offline harassment. Diana Letion, programmes coordinator at the Hub, said media professionals are themselves vulnerable to such abuse.
Kenya has laws such as the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, the Data Protection Act and the Sexual Offences Act. But enforcement remains slow, the paper reported. The Hub trained defenders to collect digital evidence and introduced a toll-free USSD line, 3849#, which works without internet. Wangui said reports are verified and followed up with the survivor's consent. Survivors can then be referred for legal help, emergency shelter and psychosocial care.
Two priorities stood out as the workshop closed. One was mental health support for frontline defenders. The other was pressure on the justice system and tech platforms to ensure abusers face consequences. The Hub was tasked with bringing police and judicial officers into future talks.