On 8th March 2025, KICTANet joins the world in celebrating International Women’s Day under the theme, “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” In Kenya, where internet connectivity continues to rise, it is critical to ensure that digital technologies empower rather than exclude women and girls.
Kenya’s digital revolution has seen remarkable strides, with recent data from the Communications Authority of Kenya indicating that mobile penetration stood at 130.5%. The consistently high mobile penetration rate shows that most Kenyans have access to mobile phones. There is more positive news for the country when it comes to the mobile gender gap. Data collected by a mobile gender gap report showed that Kenya was one of the two low- and middle-income countries that had essentially closed the gender gap in mobile phone ownership for the first time (1% gap in ownership). The mobile ownership rate, however, does not translate to similar rates of internet usage. The barriers to adoption include mobile internet awareness, affordability, literacy and digital skills, and safety and security concerns.
In Kenya, only 21.7% of rural women use the Internet, compared to 32.2% in urban areas. Our studies have shown that women are more affected by Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), and the demographic that most reported experiencing online harassment is women under the age of 40. The same study by KICTANet has shown that women in special interest groups such as high visibility careers, LGBTQIA+, and persons with disabilities also experience a heightened risk of TFGBV. These groups are particularly vulnerable to TFGBV due to various sociocultural and economic factors. Therefore, this theme is an urgent call to dismantle systemic barriers and build a digital future that leaves no one behind.
KICTANet’s Impact: Advancing Gender Digital Rights, Equality, and Empowerment
Over the past year, KICTANet has championed gender-inclusive digital transformation through actionable initiatives that promote internet safety, including:
Gender-inclusive Research and Advocacy
KICTANet has generated knowledge through research on the relevance of gender to women’s access to and experiences on the internet. We have various studies that have analysed the impact of digital safety threats on the empowerment of women. In addition, these studies have identified patterns in the root causes of gender inequalities in Kenya. The findings and recommendations of the studies continue to inform policy dialogues on strengthening legal protections and new approaches to responding to TFGBV.
In addition, KICTANet developed an online gender-based violence tracker to document incidences of TFGBV across Africa for the purposes of tracking prevalence. The findings and numbers from this tracker will further strengthen our advocacy efforts on policies to combat TFGBV in Kenya and Africa.
Capacity Building
KICTANet has trained thousands of women in digital safety, cybersecurity, and digital literacy to safeguard themselves and their personal information when they use the internet. Through the Tatua Digital Resilience Centre, women have obtained critical skills in digital strategies for self-defence, support resources, and tools for cyber hygiene. In addition, the centre offers a range of digital resilience services to social justice organisations in East Africa.
KICTANet recognises that women from marginalised groups, such as persons with disabilities, require targeted interventions to enhance their digital literacy and resilience against cyber threats. Therefore, we address this need through the Strengthening Digital Communities project in partnership with the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme. The project is designed to equip 10,000 women, youth, and persons with disabilities to, in turn, directly benefit 500,000 other Kenyans from the skills acquired.
KICTANet’s Women’s Digital Rights Program continues to design targeted interventions and drive change geared towards promoting the use of technology by women and marginalised groups for social, economic, and political advancement to achieve the 2030 sustainable development goals. This is demonstrable through our recent and upcoming capacity-building initiatives across various counties in Kenya and targeting women, girls and vulnerable groups to enhance their understanding of data protection, privacy, cyber hygiene practices and measures to combat TFGBV.
Multistakeholder Engagement
KICTANet has also been actively engaging policymakers to push for gender-responsive ICT policies. We submitted a memorandum on the budget priorities for the financial year 2025/2026 for the ICT sector. Our submission called for the government to prioritise digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, affordable access, and digital skills. All these issues we addressed for prioritisation have an impact on promoting access and safe use of technologies by women and vulnerable groups, hence promoting equality and empowerment to use these technologies for socio-economic and political progress for all.
Further, during the 49th UN Pre-Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva, Switzerland, KICTANet submitted a joint stakeholder report on the state of digital rights in Kenya. The report highlighted, among other human rights issues, the gender digital divide, the harms of TFGBV, the shortfalls in addressing it, as well as the gaps in response in law enforcement and mental health sectors.
In our upcoming inaugural Africa Tech Policy Summit in May, KICTANet will convene key actors, including government, civil society, and the private sector, to champion gender-inclusive ICT policies. We will also host the Kenya Internet Governance Forum and the East Africa Governance Forum during the Summit week where gender equality and empowerment on digital platforms will be discussed.
In commemoration of Women’s Day 2025, KICTANet has lined up activities that aim to further bridge the gender digital divide in line with this year’s theme of “For ALL Women and Girls: Equality. Empowerment.” On 7th March 2025, we will hold a workshop in Machakos to enhance women and vulnerable groups’ knowledge on data protection and cyber hygiene practices. On 8th March 2025, we will participate in IWD celebrations in Busia County organised by the Busia County government and finally, on 10th March 2025, we will host a webinar featuring a diverse panel of gender experts, legal experts, and digital rights advocates who will discuss the progress that has been made towards advancing digital inclusion for women and girls from 1995 when the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was adopted to date.
Call to Action
As we celebrate the gains made over the past three decades, let us reaffirm our commitment to a future where ALL women and girls can fully exercise their digital rights, access opportunities, and contribute to shaping the digital landscape without fear or limitation. We urge policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society to prioritise:
- Investments in digital infrastructure that enhances women’s access to technology.
- Stronger legal protections against TFGBV and data privacy violations.
- Inclusive ICT policies that recognise and address the unique barriers women face.
Happy International Women’s Day, 2025!
