Combating Gender-based Cyberbullying : Lilian Olivia, Kenya

Many victims of online violence are unaware of the legal protections available to them. The evolving landscape of digital threats, including deepfakes and data breaches, further complicates the issue. Nevertheless, Lilian sees these as opportunities to further innovate and educate.

The organization now reaches over 1,000 women and girls, both online and offline, through advocacy and training on online safety, digital literacy and the dangers of technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Her work has already inspired other women to safeguard their digital presence. One university student, after attending Lilian’s training, realized the importance of strong passwords and data protection – a seemingly small but fundamental lesson in digital security.

The newest project initiative for Lilian’s organization is to develop a mobile application that features simplified online safety lessons in local languages, a reporting mechanism that allows users to report harmful content to social media platforms, and anti-cyberbullying algorithms that detect and address harmful online behaviour in real-time.

Lilian hopes to build the app and enhance its capabilities through partnerships with software developers and AI specialists. “We want to create an app for Africans, by Africans – especially by young women”, she says.