Why accelerating digital inclusion is key to protecting women online

Nakuru journalists protesting along the streets of Nakuru City.[Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Online harassment, cyberstalking, non-consensual imagery, and misinformation are silencing women, especially in politics, journalism, activism, and public life. Globally, 38 percent of women have experienced online violence, and 85 percent have witnessed it. Misinformation and defamation affect 67 percent of victims, while 90-95 percent of deepfakes are non-consensual pornographic images, mostly targeting women. Sadly, fewer than 40 per cent of countries have adequate laws, leaving 1.8 billion women and girls unprotected.

Violence against women is evolving faster than our systems of protection, and Kenya is not exempt. Thirty years after the Beijing Declaration set the global roadmap for gender equality, the nature of violence has changed. Kenya has made progress through public awareness, strengthened legislation, and community action, yet awareness alone cannot protect a woman whose abuser monitors her phone, impersonates her online, or weaponizes her digital identity. Hashtags matter, but they cannot replace safeguards.