A new, landmark study by the pan-African digital rights and inclusion organisation, Paradigm Initiative (PIN), has exposed a rapidly escalating crisis of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) across Africa, reports ITREALMS.67% of Respondents Victimised: Paradigm Initiative Study Uncovers Severe Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence Crisis Across Africa
The research, released on International Human Rights Day, reveals that a staggering 67 per cent of respondents reported being victims of at least one or multiple forms of digital violence.
The comprehensive study, which spanned Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, highlights deep-seated systemic failures, weak accountability, and structurally unsafe online spaces as key drivers of this epidemic.
The comprehensive study, which spanned Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, highlights deep-seated systemic failures, weak accountability, and structurally unsafe online spaces as key drivers of this epidemic.
The findings are a critical warning that mainstream social media platforms are failing to protect users.
Statement from Paradigm Initiative (PIN) available to ITREALMS read in path:
“The data is unequivocal: digital spaces are currently failing to protect women and vulnerable groups across Africa. A 67 percent victimisation rate is not just a statistic; it represents a crisis that demands immediate systemic change from platforms and policymakers alike.
Statement from Paradigm Initiative (PIN) available to ITREALMS read in path:
“The data is unequivocal: digital spaces are currently failing to protect women and vulnerable groups across Africa. A 67 percent victimisation rate is not just a statistic; it represents a crisis that demands immediate systemic change from platforms and policymakers alike.
"Our survivor-centred approach reveals that while the violence is digital, the harm is profound, it is emotional, psychological, and often life-altering. We cannot talk about digital inclusion, democracy, or human rights in Africa without urgently addressing the structural failures that allow TFGBV to thrive on Facebook, WhatsApp, and X.”
ITREALMS gathered that key data points underscored the scale and nature of the crisis, as most TFGBV incidents were traced back to Facebook, WhatsApp, and X (formerly Twitter), confirming how major platforms function as hostile environments, especially for women, activists, and advocates.
ITREALMS gathered that key data points underscored the scale and nature of the crisis, as most TFGBV incidents were traced back to Facebook, WhatsApp, and X (formerly Twitter), confirming how major platforms function as hostile environments, especially for women, activists, and advocates.
According to the report, "Young people are disproportionately affected, with those aged 18–34 constituting the vast majority of survivors."
While incidents range from sexual harassment and misogynistic attacks to severe digital violations, including non-consensual image sharing, hacking, sextortion, stalking, and identity-based harassment. Personal testimonies detail profound emotional, psychological, and reputational harm.
Recognising the current gaps in understanding, PIN adopted a survivor-centred approach to reframe how TFGBV is researched and addressed.
Recognising the current gaps in understanding, PIN adopted a survivor-centred approach to reframe how TFGBV is researched and addressed.
This method prioritises survivors’ perspectives, uncovering the emotional, social, and systemic dimensions of digital violence that are often obscured by formal statistics.
The study also interrogated how survivors navigate reporting systems and access justice in spaces that are frequently hostile.
The report further reveals significant gaps in seeking redress: "Formal systems such as the police, employers, and public institutions remain critically underutilised. This is largely due to survivors' fear, deep mistrust, or an expectation of inaction from these bodies," the report notes. While the findings expose wide-ranging accountability gaps across platforms, institutions, and legal frameworks, they also powerfully highlight the resilience of survivors and their continued efforts to seek and create safer digital environments.
In line with this year’s Human Rights Day theme, “Human Rights, our everyday essentials,” Paradigm Initiative calls for urgent, concerted action from all stakeholders, governments, tech companies, civil society, and the public.
PIN calls for urgent action to secure Africa's digital space: Addressing these systemic vulnerabilities is not just a human rights imperative; it is critical for Advancing Democratic Engagement, Promoting Media Pluralism, Fostering Digital Inclusion, and Achieving Gender Equality across Africa.
PIN urges African policymakers and platform providers to immediately: (1) Strengthen Legal Frameworks to specifically criminalise and address digital violence; (2) Enhance Platform Accountability by investing in proactive moderation, transparency, and accessible reporting mechanisms; and (3) Mandate Public Institution Training to build capacity for a victim-centred response to digital violence.
The report further reveals significant gaps in seeking redress: "Formal systems such as the police, employers, and public institutions remain critically underutilised. This is largely due to survivors' fear, deep mistrust, or an expectation of inaction from these bodies," the report notes. While the findings expose wide-ranging accountability gaps across platforms, institutions, and legal frameworks, they also powerfully highlight the resilience of survivors and their continued efforts to seek and create safer digital environments.
In line with this year’s Human Rights Day theme, “Human Rights, our everyday essentials,” Paradigm Initiative calls for urgent, concerted action from all stakeholders, governments, tech companies, civil society, and the public.
PIN calls for urgent action to secure Africa's digital space: Addressing these systemic vulnerabilities is not just a human rights imperative; it is critical for Advancing Democratic Engagement, Promoting Media Pluralism, Fostering Digital Inclusion, and Achieving Gender Equality across Africa.
PIN urges African policymakers and platform providers to immediately: (1) Strengthen Legal Frameworks to specifically criminalise and address digital violence; (2) Enhance Platform Accountability by investing in proactive moderation, transparency, and accessible reporting mechanisms; and (3) Mandate Public Institution Training to build capacity for a victim-centred response to digital violence.
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