How a South African Woman Used AI to Tackle Gender-Based Violence

After a tragic family loss, Leonora Tima from South Africa developed an AI-powered platform called Grit, designed to support women experiencing abuse. Her inspiration came after the brutal murder of her 19-year-old pregnant relative in 2020, an event that was largely ignored by the media due to the frequency of similar cases in South Africa. Grit includes several features aimed at providing assistance to victims of abuse, including an emergency response system that records incidents and alerts trained professionals, a secure digital vault for storing evidence, and an AI chatbot named Zuzi, designed to act as a non-judgmental confidant. With 13,000 users and growing, Grit is already making waves among international women’s rights activists, though experts warn against relying solely on AI for trauma-related care. This project highlights the importance of developing technology that directly addresses the needs of marginalized communities, while also acknowledging that AI cannot replace human empathy and professional support in sensitive situations.