As Kenya celebrates its progress in digital connectivity and innovation, a darker trend has emerged beneath the surface of its tech boom: a sharp rise in Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) affecting millions of women and girls across the country.
Recent studies conducted in Kenya, including research within higher learning institutions, indicate that nearly 90% of young adults have witnessed TFGBV, while 39% report having experienced it. Manifestations include cyberbullying, online sexual harassment, sextortion, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, and AI-generated deepfakes.
TFGBV has serious consequences for victims’ mental health, personal safety, dignity, and economic participation. Women and girls — particularly adolescents, students, journalists, activists, and women in public life — are disproportionately affected. In certain cases, online violence escalates into offline harm.
To address this, the Embassy of France in Kenya and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) on Monday launched a €5 million regional project to combat TFGBV in Kenya and six other African nations.
In the initiative, AFD is supporting Kenyan feminist civil society organizations under the Feminist Organizations Support Fund (FSOF). The four-year initiative (2026 – 2030) is implemented across seven African countries: Kenya, Cameroon, Togo, Zimbabwe, Benin, Senegal, and Nigeria.
While in Kenya and three other countries the focus is on direct support to feminist organizations and survivors, in Benin, Senegal, and Nigeria the programme also supports policy dialogue and public engagement to strengthen national responses to digital gender-based violence.
In Kenya, the project will strengthen local organizations working to prevent online harassment and digital abuse, improve digital security, and provide holistic support to survivors, including psychological, legal, and technological assistance.
The initiative also supports the production of research and advocacy efforts to promote stronger policies and safer digital spaces for women and girls through UAF and the Kenyan Covaw (Coalition on Violence Against Women), as well as partners like The Engine Room and AWID (Association for Women’s Rights in Development).
Through this programme, AFD contributes to advancing gender equality and ensuring that digital transformation in Kenya is inclusive, safe, and empowering for all
Watch below as AFD Director for Kenya Anne Gaël Chapuis, shares more on the Kenya funding.
AFD Director for Kenya, Anne Gaël Chapuis: The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) supports Kenyan feminist civil society organizations to combat Technology-Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV) through a regional initiative under the Feminist Organizations Support Fund… pic.twitter.com/eMsO0z2qYo
— KBC Channel 1 News (@KBCChannel1) March 10, 2026
French Ambassador to Kenya Arnaud Suquet says Technology-Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV) is a big issue noting that 90% of adult women in Kenya have experienced it. Notes that France has committed to feminist diplomacy.
TECHNOLOGY-FACILITATED GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE (TFGBV)
French Ambassador to Kenya Arnaud Suquet says France has committed to feminist diplomacy.@FranceinKenya#KBCniYetu ^JM pic.twitter.com/jYRLJVMWrU
— KBC Channel 1 News (@KBCChannel1) March 10, 2026
