Who Funds Feminist Technology?
Across Africa, feminist organisations, collectives, and solo builders are developing tools that address gender-based violence, reproductive health, digital safety, economic exclusion, and political participation. Examples include Pollicy’s Digital SafeTea Project, which works to address technology-facilitated gender-based violence and strengthen digital safety; GRIT’s (Gender Rights In Tech) Zuzi AI chatbot, which provides trauma-informed information on legal rights and sexual reproductive health; and UNICEF’s Oky app, an open-source period tracker and education tool co-created with and for girls to ensure accessibility regardless of digital literacy. These technologies are keeping people safe, expanding access to care, and building the conditions for women and marginalised communities to participate fully in digital life. However, they remain chronically underfunded.