Swedish tech company, Truecaller, is bringing awareness against harassment using the hashtag #ItsNotOk to support women to act against phone call/SMS based harassment. This is part of the company’s pursuit to safeguard the interests of women through community-based action.
Truecaller has been present in Kenya and across the world for over a decade. Its commitment to technological innovation is reflected in millions of active users globally.
According to the latest edition of Truecaller Insights; Understanding the impact of harassment calls and SMS for women in Kenya in March 2020, 1 in 5 women reported receiving sexual or inappropriate calls. 2 out of 10 women have reported to have taken some action against harassers. In the list of actions, the women stated that reporting to law enforcement or authorities has a 6% dismal chance.
Currently, over 1 million women in Kenya use Truecaller as their first line of defense against calls and SMS based harassment. Truecaller has stated that it has taken up print publications and outdoor sites to spread the message. The primary objective is to get more women to report such harassment that occurs through phone calls and SMS, to the right authorities without any fear.
The Truecaller company website has been the resource centre for our campaign over the last few years. The public can access the full report, resources on what action women can take along with real and unscripted interviews of women from across the world who faced such harassment and want to tell their stories.
Listed below are links to the discussions around call and SMS sexual harassment reported across the country