Building safer digital spaces in Ethiopia: TikTok and CIR’s joint efforts to tackle TFGBV in Ethiopia

Earlier this year, our report ‘No Safe Scroll: Investigating gendered hate speech on TikTok and YouTube in Ethiopia’ revealed a stark reality: ,gendered abuse and harassment are shaping how women engage — or withdraw — from online spaces, particularly TikTok.

In the weeks following publication, we heard from TikTok’s Africa team, who were keen to engage directly with the data, the findings, and the people behind them. The findings sparked important conversations about responsibility, safety, and what meaningful action could look like. Together, we set out to create a space for dialogue and collaboration.

Earlier this month, that collaboration came to life. In Addis Ababa, the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR) and TikTok co-hosted a Forum on Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence on TikTok. We had the privilege of bringing together our network from across Ethiopia’s media, civil society, and activism communities as well as development partners and UN agencies for a unique conversation on online safety. What made the discussion so powerful was its diversity — voices from across sectors, all united by one concern: how to ensure that people in Ethiopian public life can participate online without fear or harassment.

At CIR, our research has shown that women journalists, politicians, and creators frequently face gendered abuse that undermines their confidence and limits their participation in public life. These harms are not abstract — they silence critical voices, distort public discourse, and reinforce offline inequalities. The forum was dedicated to changing that reality, confronting TFGBV and exploring how we can collectively make digital spaces safer and more inclusive.

Through the forum, TikTok and CIR aimed to bridge research with real-world action. As CIR’s Director, Nadine Naguib noted during the event:

That spirit of collaboration was evident throughout the day. TikTok’s Outreach & Partnerships Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, Duduzile Mkhize, reminded us that the platform’s safety efforts depend on listening to users and communities:

The discussions were candid, constructive, and future focused. In the morning, the TikTok team presented their existing features for keeping users safe, before presentations from seven local organisations, who shared valuable insights into the challenges they’ve observed on the platform and offered practical recommendations to improve safety.

In the afternoon’s breakout sessions, participants spoke openly about their lived experiences and the critical need for moderation in Ethiopia’s many local languages. Civil society leaders also underscored the importance of digital literacy initiatives, stronger community-based reporting mechanisms, and improved psychosocial support for survivors.

Youth volunteers from Media Smart Youth Ethiopia, said;

The feeling in the room was optimistic. Participants appreciated TikTok’s commitment to building a platform that uplifts and protects its diverse communities. Desere Nigatu, Executive Director, Ethiopia Editors’ Guild, said: “We commend TikTok’s proactive engagement with professionals in the media space… Tackling tech-facilitated gender-based violence requires a united front, and we welcome TikTok’s commitment to working alongside the media industry to build safer digital spaces. Empowering women to participate fully and safely in media is not just a digital issue, it is a democratic imperative.”

The day reaffirmed a crucial lesson from CIR’s work: technology companies, researchers, and local communities must move beyond parallel conversations. Real progress happens when these groups co-design solutions grounded in both evidence and empathy.

As these conversations continue, one message stands out clearly: online safety is not just a technical issue — it’s a human one. True progress depends on collaboration between platforms, researchers, and communities, to create digital spaces where all voices — especially women’s — can thrive. As Dudu Mkhize, TikTok’s Outreach & Partnerships Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, reflected: “Safety is at the heart of everything we do. These forum is about listening to people with lived experiences, learning from local communities, and building solutions together. Because creating safe spaces online isn’t just about technology, it’s about humanity..”

The roundtable demonstrated TikTok’s willingness to reflect on the harsh truths identified in our research, engage directly with Ethiopian users and civil society, to learn from those most affected, and to integrate that learning into platform safety strategies. It was not just a dialogue — it was a call to action.