A person using stax on their phone

The Dada Disinfo project, undertaken by Nendo in partnership with Pollicy, aimed to tackle Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) in Kenya. TFGBV stands for technology-facilitated gender-based violence. TFGBV includes impersonation, bullying, sexual harassment, defamation, hate speech, intimate image abuse, stalking, among other harms.Dada Disinfo's report examines the complex issue of TFGBV in Kenya and highlights some of its psychological, physical, social, and economic impacts on the lives of victims/survivors who are content creators.

The project involved various research methodologies, including desk research, online surveys, in-depth interviews, a co-creation workshop, and social media analytics. These methods provided a comprehensive view of TFGBV, highlighting public perceptions, experiences of women content creators, and digital behaviours associated with TFGBV.

Case Study

Methodology:

  • Desk Research: Initial baseline information gathered to define the scope and focus of the project.
  • Online Survey: Conducted using the Looka platform with 100 social media users to understand their perceptions and experiences regarding TFGBV.
  • In-depth Interviews: Engaged with 14 experienced women content creators in Kenya to capture qualitative insights into their experiences with TFGBV.
  • Co-Creation Workshop: Held in Nairobi with 25 emerging women social media content creators to brainstorm, discuss, and identify challenges and solutions related to TFGBV.
  • Social Media Analytics: Analysis of data from various social media platforms to identify patterns and themes related to TFGBV incidents.

Implementation:

  • The project integrated these methods to gather both quantitative and qualitative data.
  • A significant part of the project was the co-creation workshop which facilitated direct feedback and collaborative solution-generation among content creators affected by TFGBV.

Key Findings

  • Prevalence of TFGBV: High incidence of online harassment, stalking, hate speech, and impersonation were reported, with online harassment being the most recognised form of TFGBV among the survey respondents.
  • Impact on Victims: TFGBV has profound emotional and psychological effects, contributing to decreased public engagement and online presence, especially among women content creators.
  • Platform Safety: Variations in safety perceptions across different social media platforms were noted, with Instagram and TikTok perceived as relatively safer compared to Twitter and Facebook.

Conclusions

  • Legal and Educational Needs: There is a critical need for enhanced legal frameworks to specifically address TFGBV and for educational campaigns to raise awareness about the nature and seriousness of TFGBV.
  • Platform Responsibility: Social media platforms need to enforce stricter policies and tools to detect and prevent TFGBV, ensuring a safer online environment for users.
  • Support Systems: The establishment of comprehensive support systems including psychological counseling and legal assistance for victims of TFGBV is crucial.

Use Cases

No items found.

Got a project? Let's talk

Discover what we do, who we've worked with, the work we've done, the insights you need, and questions we answer. Or simply say hello.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Discover our insights