ARTIFICIAL Intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant idea. It is here, shaping our daily lives in ways we often do not notice.
From mobile banking apps to online learning platforms, AI is woven into the fabric of modern society. Yet, while it brings opportunities, it also carries risks. And for women and girls in Zimbabwe, those risks are becoming more visible and more dangerous.
Let us be honest. Technology has always been double-edged. It can empower, but it can also exploit. AI is no different. On one hand, it offers tools that can help women access education, health information, and business opportunities.
On the other hand, it opens doors to new forms of abuse: online bullying, harassment, exploitation and even gender-based violence through digital manipulation.
One of the most worrying trends is the rise of deepfakes. These are fake videos or images created using AI. They look real, but they are not. Around the world, women have been targeted with deepfakes that place their faces on explicit content without consent.
Imagine the damage this could cause to a young girl in Harare or Mutare. Her reputation destroyed, her dignity stripped, and her future compromised, all because of a malicious digital trick.
Then there is cyberbullying. AI-driven platforms can amplify harmful messages. Algorithms push content that gets attention, even if it is abusive. Girls in schools and universities are often victims of online shaming, body shaming, or sexual harassment.
What used to be whispered gossip in corridors is now broadcast to thousands online, leaving scars that are hard to heal.
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We must also talk about data exploitation. AI systems collect massive amounts of personal information. Women and girls, often less aware of privacy risks, can be exposed to manipulation.
Their photos, voices, and even health data can be misused. In a country where digital literacy is still uneven, this is a ticking time bomb. Zimbabwe is not immune.
Our young people are online. They use TikTok, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram daily. AI powers these platforms. It decides what they see, what they read, and sometimes even how they feel. If we do not act, we risk allowing AI to become a silent weapon against women and girls.
The Zimbabwe Gender Commission was created to protect women’s rights. It has done important work in addressing workplace discrimination, child marriages, and gender-based violence.
But AI presents a new frontier. This is not about physical violence alone. It is about digital violence, abuse that happens on screens but leaves real scars in lives.
If the Commission does not step in, who will? We cannot wait for Silicon Valley companies to regulate themselves. Their interests are profit, not protection. Zimbabwe must craft its own safeguards.
We need a Gender and AI Protection Act. This law should recognise that technology can be used to exploit women and girls. It should criminalise the use of AI for harassment, deepfakes, and digital stalking. It should demand accountability from tech companiesoperating in Zimbabwe.
Such an Act would send a clear message: Zimbabwe values its women and girls, both offline and online. It would also give victims a legal path to seek justice. Right now, if a girl is targeted with a deepfake, where does she go? The police may not even understand what has happened. A dedicated law would close that gap.
However, laws alone are not enough. We need education. Girls must be taught digital literacy as part of the school curriculum. They should know how to protect their data, how to report abuse, and how to navigate online spaces safely.
Parents and teachers must also be trained. Too often, adults dismiss online abuse as “just social media drama”. It is not. It is real harm. Community awareness campaigns can help. Churches, civic groups, and women’s organisations should be involved. We must break the silence around digital violence. Just as we talk openly about domestic violence, we must talk openly about AI-driven abuse.
There is another angle we cannot ignore. AI is also reshaping the economy. Jobs are changing. New opportunities are emerging in tech, data, and innovation. If women and girls are excluded from these opportunities, they will be left behind.
Entrepreneurship in education must embrace AI. Girls should be encouraged to see AI not only as a threat but also as a tool. They can build businesses, create apps, and design solutions that serve communities. But this requires support, scholarships, mentorship, and inclusive policies.
If we fail to prepare women for the AI economy, we risk widening the gender gap. Men will dominate the new industries, while women remain stuck in old roles. That is not the Zimbabwe we want.
This is why I believe the Zimbabwe Gender Commission should convene an All Women and Girls AI Conference in 2026. Such a gathering would bring together students, professionals, activists, and policymakers. It would create a platform to discuss the risks and opportunities of AI.
At the conference, women could share their experiences of online abuse. Experts could explain how deepfakes work and how to fight them. Policymakers could debate the structure of a new Act. Entrepreneurs could showcase how AI can be used positively in inclusive education and business.
Most importantly, the conference would give women and girls a voice. Too often, decisions about technology are made in boardrooms dominated by men. This conference would shift the centre of gravity. It would say: women are not just victims of AI; they are leaders in shaping its future.
Zimbabwe has always prided itself on resilience. We have faced economic crises, political challenges, and social upheavals. Yet we endure. Now we face a new challenge: the digital age. If we do not act, AI will deepen inequalities.
But if we act wisely, it can become a tool for empowerment. The Gender Commission must lead. It must push for legislation. It must convene the conference. It must ensure that women and girls are not left defenceless in the face of digital violence.
This is not a luxury. It is urgent. Every day, girls are online. Every day, they face risks. Every day, AI grows more powerful. We cannot wait until the damage is irreversible. AI is here. It is shaping our lives. For women and girls, it brings both promise and peril. Zimbabwe must recognise this reality.
The Gender Commission must act boldly. A new Act is needed. Education is needed. Awareness is needed. And above all, dialogue is needed.
The All Women and Girls AI Conference in 2026 could be the turning point. It could be the moment Zimbabwe says: we will not allow technology to exploit our daughters. We will harness it to empower them. The future is digital. But it must also be just. And justice means protecting women and girls, not only in the streets of Harare but also in the digital spaces where they live, learn, and dream.
Sagomba is a chartered marketer, policy researcher, AI governance and policy consultant, ethics of war and peace research consultant. — [email protected]. LinkedIn: @Dr. Evans Sagomba Dr. Evans Sagomba (MSc Marketing)(FCIM )(MPhil) (PhD) X: @esagomba.
