Fears mount over AI And GBV- fuelled by technology as Tanzania nears elections

Dar es Salaam. Dr Kuduishe Kisowile recalls the first time she became a target of online abuse. It was vicious, deeply personal, and emotionally scarring.

What she didn’t anticipate, however, was how swiftly technology would evolve to amplify the very violence she had endured. Now, as Tanzania approaches its General Election, she warns that the stakes have never been higher.

“This is going to push women out of politics,” says Dr Kisowile, a medical doctor and health educator who now uses her X platform (formerly Twitter) to raise awareness about digital manipulation and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven abuse.

“I’ve seen deepfake videos of [a prominent female government leader] half-naked, circulating on X. It’s terrifying.”

The manipulation of images and videos using AI software has emerged as a growing threat across East Africa. In Tanzania, this danger has become even more pronounced amid mounting political tensions and weak digital protection laws.

With technology advancing rapidly and legal frameworks lagging behind, women politicians, activists, and even ordinary citizens are facing an alarming surge in abuse, defined as Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV).

During the 2024 Local Government Elections in Tanzania, the civil society organisation Jamii Africa, through its fact-checking platform JamiiCheck, analysed 81 pieces of content related to various aspects of the electoral process.

Innocent Mangu, Jamii Africa's Content Integrity Specialist and Head of Information Fact Checking, says of the 81 items reviewed, 5 percent—were found to have been designed using deepfake technology.” These videos, he adds, appeared authentic and were difficult to detect, making them dangerous tools for misinformation.

“What we’ve found,” Mangu says, “is that political agents and malicious actors are misusing deepfakes to harass individuals, especially women. They deploy synthetic media to shame, discredit, or silence them, often with devastating consequences.”

TFGBV is defined by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) as violence that is committed, assisted, aggravated, or amplified—either partly or entirely—using digital media or information communication technologies, directed at someone because of their gender.

The problem is widespread. According to the 2024 report by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS), titled Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence: An Emerging Issue in Women, Peace and Security, a staggering 85 percent of women globally have either experienced or witnessed online violence. The effects are not just digital or emotional—one in five women who face abuse online also report being physically attacked in offline spaces.

Perhaps most disturbing is the specific role of AI in deepening this harm. The GIWPS report highlights that 95 percent of all AI-generated deepfakes on the internet depict women in obscene, non-consensual scenarios. These aren’t accidental or fringe incidents; they are calculated, high-tech attacks designed to shame, marginalise, and ultimately exclude women from public and political life.

The report further warns that TFGBV has broader implications beyond individual harm. “A heightened level of women’s participation in politics and peacebuilding is associated with lower risks of civil war and more durable peace agreements. Silencing women through online abuse, therefore, is not just a personal violation — it is a threat to international peace and security.”

Despite its urgency, major knowledge gaps still hinder effective action. A separate 2024 study titled Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence: Developing a Shared Research Agenda exposes an alarming lack of reliable data on the prevalence, impact, and drivers of TFGBV—especially in low- and middle-income countries.

To address these gaps, a global coalition—comprising the Sexual Violence Research Initiative, the Association for Progressive Communications, UN Women, and the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Abuse and Harassment—has developed a shared research agenda. It calls for evidence-based policymaking, inclusive technology development, and real-time global responses to curb the growing threat.

The Tanzanian context: Political silence, tech noise

While many African governments are still catching up with the digital age, Tanzania is slowly awakening to the issue.

The Cybercrimes Act of 2015 (Act No. 13 of 2015) was introduced to curb online crimes. However, authorities now admit that the rise of AI and evolving digital threats require new legal frameworks that specifically address the realities of TFGBV.

In May 2025, a Parliamentary Committee in Dodoma urged the Ministries of Communication and Information Technology and Home Affairs to work jointly in tackling AI-driven cybercrime.

Fatuma Toufiq, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Welfare and Development, noted, “There is no law or policy governing AI, and no guidance on how it should operate or be supervised. We must understand how to prevent its misuse. The aim is to protect those vulnerable to its adverse effects.”

Although the Tanzanian government is drafting a national artificial intelligence policy, there is little public information available regarding its implementation, enforcement mechanisms, or timelines.

“In the absence of robust regulation, AI becomes a double-edged sword,” warns Asha Abinallah, Director of Tech & Media Convergence (TMC) in Tanzania. “It’s a tool that can transform societies—but it also replicates and amplifies existing inequalities and gender-based harms.”

Speaking at the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF) in Lusaka, Zambia, in May, Abinallah stressed the need for AI ethics frameworks that explicitly address TFGBV. “Responsible use of AI is vital. Without it, these tools can erode our democratic gains.”

She added that even well-intentioned tech interventions can fail if they do not consider gender-specific risks.

Innovation meets caution

In Dar es Salaam, a team of student developers is reimagining how AI can be used for safety rather than harm. Among them is Jennifer Magani, a Business Information Technology student at the University of Dar es Salaam, and part of the team behind the “GBV Shield App.”

“This app is designed to be an anonymous and intelligent assistant,” Magani explains. “It offers information on sexual and reproductive health, connects users to legal and emergency services, and guides them through reporting mechanisms—all based on their location.”

But the team is treading carefully. “We’re building this app with a ‘privacy-by-design’ mindset,” Magani adds, noting that many GBV survivors fear retaliation or surveillance. Some survivors are financially or emotionally dependent on their abusers, making it risky to seek help.

The biggest challenge, she says, is balancing user safety with functionality. “We want to offer location-based assistance without compromising personal data. By prioritizing user control and transparency, we’re ensuring that safety and dignity are never sacrificed.”

TFGBV: A regulatory and ethical maze

While Tanzania has taken steps to integrate TFGBV into its broader violence prevention strategies—such as its inclusion in the National Plan of Action for the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Children (2025–2029)—significant hurdles remain.

According to the GIWPS 2024 report, challenges include the rapid pace of AI development, which often outstrips legislative capabilities; cross-border abuse, which allows perpetrators to evade justice due to jurisdictional constraints; and deep-rooted gender inequality, which calls for more than just legal fixes but also societal transformation.

Public awareness of TFGBV also remains limited. While high-profile figures like politicians and journalists often draw attention, women from all walks of life—from teenage girls to market traders—are frequent victims.

The abuse spans many forms: cyberstalking, online harassment, doxing, non-consensual image sharing, and revenge pornography.

“To truly combat this evolving threat, a multi-pronged approach is required,” says Florence Majani, Media Policy and Advocacy Officer at the Tanzania Media Women Association (TAMWA) and a key contributor to the recent report: Sexual Harassment, Corruption, and Gender Mainstreaming in the Tanzanian Media.

Beyond legal reforms, Majani highlights the need for capacity-building across key sectors.

 “We must empower the public through digital safety education,” she says. “Training media personnel, for instance, would enable them to detect and report abuse and to support victims—especially those at the frontlines of public communication.”

Recognising the urgency, UNESCO Tanzania has partnered with the ministries responsible for Gender, Information, and Technology to push for a coordinated national response.

Supported by UNESCO’s Multi-Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and the Safety of Journalists, this partnership aims to produce a regional blueprint to address TFGBV across the African continent.

Other countries are making progress. Kenya, for example, has implemented a robust Data Protection Act and is developing regulations specific to AI. Zimbabwe has initiated public consultations regarding its AI policy. However, many African nations still lack a coherent, rights-based national strategy to address TFGBV.

This policy vacuum has real consequences. In the absence of clear frameworks, survivors are often blamed, perpetrators escape accountability, and women retreat from digital spaces that are vital for civic participation and leadership.

Protecting democracy, protecting women

As Tanzania edges closer to its general election, Dr Kisowile fears that digital violence and disinformation will intensify.

“There’s so much potential for technology to help us,” she says. “But without awareness and regulation, it becomes a weapon.”

With increasing access to smartphones and social media platforms, the threat of AI-generated abuse is no longer hypothetical. The consequences could be grave—silencing critics, intimidating candidates, and undermining democratic discourse.

The lesson is urgent and clear: If left unchecked, digital innovation may come at the cost of democracy—and of women’s rightful place in public life.

“The very tools meant to empower us,” Dr Kisowile says, “could be the ones that destroy us—if we don’t act now.”