Hope, safety and dignity in a digital age
What you need to know:
- Kenya is not only one of Africa’s most youthful countries but also among its most digitally connected.
- For young people, the internet is a gateway to opportunity: a place to learn, to find work, and to make their voices heard.
Kenya is a nation defined by its youth. Today, three out of every four Kenyans are under 35 years old – a staggering demographic reality that shapes our present as much as our future.
Nowhere is this more visible than on our streets, in our schools, and increasingly, online. With smartphone penetration at 80.5 per cent and mobile broadband coverage reaching 97 per cent of our population, Kenya is not only one of Africa’s most youthful countries but also among its most digitally connected.
For young people, the internet is a gateway to opportunity: a place to learn, to find work, and to make their voices heard.
But this digital revolution is bringing with it a new set of dangers. Gender-based violence, already a national crisis, has found new life online.
In the past year, Kenya has witnessed a surge in femicides and sexual violence, with 100 women murdered in just four months, most by people they knew.
Online gender-based violence
The pain does not stop at the doorstep. Recent research shows that nearly 90 per cent of young adults in Nairobi have experienced online gender-based violence, and 39 per cent have been direct victims of digital abuse. Behind each of these numbers is a young woman silenced by threats, a family shattered by shame, and a community forced to face trauma that is both visible and invisible.
At Shining Hope for Communities (Shofco), I have seen the courage of survivors and the determination of youth leaders who refuse to accept violence as a fact of life. Our work has always been about listening first, so that we might understand the real barriers our most marginalised communities face, from the streets of Kibera to the digital spaces where so much of life now unfolds.
We have supported thousands of survivors with medical care, psychosocial support, and legal assistance. But the truth is, most of the stories we hear are still about physical violence – cases of assault, defilement, and intimidation. The digital dimension is newer, harder to trace, and often goes unreported. But hear me when I say this: it is no less real.
A month ago, I met a group of young women in Mathare, where a Shofco-supported CBO, Inua Rise Together, is training girls in digital literacy and content creation. For many of them, the internet was simultaneously a lifeline and a source of fear. Some had been targeted by online harassment.
Others had their images stolen and shared without consent. Still more spoke of the anxiety that comes from never knowing who might be watching, or what might happen if they spoke out. And yet, their resilience was unmistakable. With support, they are building skills, finding dignified work, and reclaiming their voices.
Challenge harmful norms
The fight for safety and dignity has moved beyond our homes and streets – it is happening on our screens, in our WhatsApp groups, and across our social media feeds. This is the new frontline. The pain is real, but so is the hope. Kenya’s youth are not just victims; they are innovators, organisers, and leaders.
Through Shofco, over a million young people have attended leadership forums, launched businesses, and successfully petitioned the government for change. In Mombasa, youth-led CBOs like Tuko Insightful are hiring teen mothers to run water businesses, proving that with the right support, young people can transform their communities.
No one can do this alone. The solution to gender-based violence, online and off, requires partnership. I am encouraged by the government partnerships we have for our dozen GBV shelters and safehouses, and by Kenya’s recent cybercrime law amendment, which strengthens legal protections against digital abuse. But laws alone are not enough. We need tech companies to act faster to remove harmful content and protect users.
We need communities to challenge harmful norms and support survivors. And we need to invest in youth, giving them the skills, the confidence, and the opportunities to lead.
This is our moment to act. Let us ensure that the digital world is a place of empowerment, not exploitation. Let us prove, together, that hope is stronger than harm.
The writer is founder and CEO of Shining Hope for Communities (Shofco)
