By KELVIN OBEGI MOKAYA
Every year, the 16 Days of Activism reminds us that violence against women and girls is not only persistent but constantly evolving. Today, its newest front is the digital world. Kenya has embraced technology with remarkable speed, yet this progress has opened the door to a silent and devastating form of gendered harm that is spreading faster than our collective response.
Digital violence is no longer an abstract concept. It is the torrent of online harassment targeting women leaders who dare to speak boldly. It is the non-consensual sharing of intimate images that shatters reputations and careers. It is the coordinated political trolling that pushes young women out of civic spaces. It is the deep fake videos, the impersonation accounts, the threats that follow survivors from their screens into their real lives. And with internet access rising among young people, the patterns are becoming more complex and more dangerous.
Kenya has seen this play out most visibly during elections and public debates. Women who seek public office or express strong views online often face a level of abuse designed to silence them. Young girls navigating social media are confronted with unsolicited sexual advances, grooming, cyber stalking, and body shaming. These are acts of violence. They steal confidence, safety, and opportunity. They push far too many away from the spaces where the future is being shaped.
We cannot talk about digital transformation in Kenya without talking about digital safety. The Constitution protects the dignity and security of every person, yet many survivors have no idea where to report digital abuse or what protections they can rely on. Law enforcement officers are often unsure how to respond, and the burden falls on survivors to produce evidence, track perpetrators, and pursue justice. In the meantime, their lives continue to unravel.
But the situation is not hopeless. Kenya has a vibrant community of SRHR and human rights advocates, tech innovators, youth leaders, and women’s rights groups who are pushing for stronger protections. Schools and community groups are beginning to talk more openly about online safety. There is a growing demand for digital literacy programs that empower young people to recognise manipulation and exploitation before it escalates. And conversations about responsible technology design are taking root across the region.
What we need now is coordinated national action. We need stronger reporting mechanisms that work in real time. We need survivor-centred legal processes that understand the trauma digital violence causes. We need platforms to be accountable for the environments they create. Above all, we need to treat digital violence with the same urgency as physical violence because the outcomes are just as harmful.
The theme of this year’s 16 Days of Activism is a call to all of us. Unite to end digital violence against women and girls is not a slogan. It is a responsibility. Kenya cannot build a just and prosperous digital future while half its population is under attack online. If we want a society rooted in fairness, dignity, and freedom, then we must defend those values everywhere, including on our screens.
The author is an SRHR Advocate and Communications Consultant at The Legal Caravan.
