In brief
In response to the tragic death of a family member and the prevalent violence against women in South Africa, Leonora Tima developed 'Grit', a digital platform designed to help users, particularly women, discuss and track abuse. The app features Zuzi, an AI chatbot intended to provide support while encouraging users to report their experiences safely. With its innovative approach, Grit has garnered attention for addressing gender-based violence through technology, striving to empower users in a society grappling with systemic issues.
A gruesome killing in her own family inspired South African Leonora Tima to create a digital platform where people, mostly women, can talk about and track abuse.
Leonora's relative was just 19 years old, and nine months pregnant, when she was killed, her body dumped on the side of a highway near Cape Town in 2020.
Leonora recalls, I work in the development sector, so I've seen violence. But what stood out for me was that my family member's violent death was seen as so normal in South African society.
Her death wasn't published by any news outlet because the sheer volume of these cases in our country is such that it doesn't qualify as news. The killer was never caught, and what Leonora saw as the silent acceptance of a woman's violent death became the catalyst for her app, Gender Rights in Tech (Grit), which features a chatbot called Zuzi.
This is one of the first free AI tools made by African creators to tackle gender-based violence.
This is an African solution co-designed with African communities, says Leonora. The aim is to offer support and help gather evidence that could later be used in legal cases against abusers.
The initiative is gaining interest among international women's rights activists, although some caution that chatbots should not be used to replace human support, emphasising that survivors need empathy, understanding, and emotional connection that only a trained professional can provide.
Leonora and her small team visited communities in the townships around her home in Cape Town, speaking to residents about their experiences of abuse and the ways technology fits into their lives.
