This is the sixth in a series of mini editions highlighting the “End violence: Women’s rights and safety online” project. Each edition focuses on one country in which the research was conducted, and brings together major findings, and interviews with the research teams. Drawing on four documented case studies, the Kenya research documents the local characteristics of online violence against women, including an exploration of the policy and political background of the situation around technology-related violence. In the research some interesting themes/trends were picked up and some valuable recommendations were made.

 

 

Conversations with the research team

From unawareness to women coming forward when under attack: Technology-related violence against women in Kenya

Kenya was one of seven countries covered under the Association for Progressive Communications’ End violence: Women’s rights and safety online research project. Here, GenderIT.org writer Tarryn Booysen speaks to the research team, giving us a closer look into the findings.

 

 

 

 

Kenya country report

Technology-related violence against women in Kenya

This report emerges from research carried out in Kenya between November 2013 and April 2014 by The International Association of Women in Radio and Television-Kenya and the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) as part of a multi-country project entitled “End violence: Women’s rights and safety online”. Throughout the documentation of four cases of technology-related violence in Kenya, social media – particularly Facebook – appeared to be the most common platform used by abusers. In the four cases under study, three of them reported violations committed through Facebook to implicate and intimidate the victims. In the other case, SMS was used to also intimidate and harass the victim/survivor.

 

 

 

 

Case studies

 

 

 

 

When domestic violence enters the digital era

 

 

 

 

When password theft turns into domestic violence

 

 

 

 

When a stolen photograph leads to threats of violence

 

 

 

 

Violence against women on the campaign trail

 

 

 

 

For more information about the multi-country research visit the research site

 

 

Internet rights are human rights: Reflections from workshops in the DRC and Kenya on violence against women

caroline
I've had the privilege, this past year, to travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Kenya to facilitate workshops based on our Internet Rights are Human Rights: Violence Against Women (VAW) online curriculum.

Women and cybercrime in Kenya: the dark side of ICTS (Working document)

kaca
This study was commissioned by KICTANET as part of the GRACE Project, and supported by the International Development and Research Center (IDRC). It documents cybercrime against women in Kenya and by extrapolation the East African Community Member states. For example the study examines the type and quantity of prevalent cybercrime against women or how does cyber crime affect women differently. The general objective of this study is to contribute to development of cyber security legislation in Kenya in order to provide a secure safe space, for women to exercise their right to communicate without fear of abuse, harassment, and violence. It is targeted primarily to the government/governmental agencies, international organisations, women organisations and media.

Women and cyber crime in Kenya

Naomi Kamau
Kenya has been one of the first African countries to adopt and innovate ICTs. With this have come both benefits, but also a rise in cybercrime and technology-based violence. A recent study by the Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANET) on women and cyber crime in Kenya explores this violence. To unpack the findings of this study, Naomi Kamau spoke to the team behind the study: Alice Munyua, an associate at KICTANET, vice chair of the government advisory committee (GAC) and chair of the global IGF, she is also a representative of the African Union Commission at ICAAN; Victor Kapiyo, an advocate of the High Court currently working as a programme officer in the human rights protection programme at the International Commission of Jurists Kenya (ICJ Kenya); and Grace Githaiga, an associate at KICTANET, affiliated to the Media, Empowerment and Democracy in East Africa (MEDIEA) Research Programme.

From unawareness to women coming forward when under attack: Technology-related violence against women in Kenya

Tarryn
Kenya was one of seven countries covered under the Association for Progressive Communication’s End violence: Women’s rights and safety online research project. Here, GenderIT.org writer Tarryn Booysen speaks to the research team, giving us a closer look into the research findings.
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