South Africa explores AI-powered tools to combat gender-based violence
Date: 2025-12-04
By: Robert Annor
As
part of the 16DaysOfActivism campaign, Minister Solly Malatsi has met with GRIT
– Gender Rights in Tech, an organization leveraging digital innovation to
strengthen efforts against gender-based violence (GBV).
GRIT
has developed an AI-powered chatbot available in all 11 official South African
languages to help survivors open cases. The organization also introduced a
panic button that shares a live location with the South African Police Service
(SAPS) and private security, while recording the first 20 seconds of audio and
video to aid evidence collection.
The
session brought together key partners in the fight against GBV, including
representatives from the Film and Publication Board, the GBV Command Centre,
SAPS, ICASA, and officials from the Department of Communications and Digital
Technologies (DCDT).
Attendees
received a full presentation of the GRIT tech ecosystem, including the GRIT
App, Zuzi AI, and the soon-to-be-launched InFORMed tool—innovations designed to
safeguard and empower women, children, and vulnerable individuals across the
digital landscape.
Minister
Malatsi emphasized that ending GBV requires collective action and highlighted
the potential of collaboration to drive meaningful change.
