Leveraging Technology to Support Survivors of Gender-Based Violence

“Company D” is a comprehensive app seeking to support survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) by safely connecting them to resources in their own time and making service delivery more efficient for GBV service providers. GBV survivors include those affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, child marriage, female genital mutilation/cutting, and/or human trafficking.

One of the most inspiring moments of my journey so far has been realizing the barriers that GBV organizations face in adopting innovative tools. For example, some organizations struggle with integrating new technology due to issues with document management, language barriers, and the need for seamless data transfer. Our app addresses these challenges by managing important documents, offering a GBV glossary in eight languages, and allowing for easier communication and legal action.

I was particularly moved by a panel I organized, which was a challenging but impactful event. Attendees initially approached the idea of technology in the context of GBV organizations with skepticism, but by the end of the session, they left with a newfound curiosity and openness to tech innovations. The panel effectively created a space that encouraged easier acceptance of our tool and fostered a more progressive mindset towards integrating technology in an often antiquated field. This shift was instrumental in promoting a more innovative approach to supporting survivors.

A key challenge I encountered was addressing client concerns and building traction during our initial deployment. While creating “Company D,” our primary focus was to make the tool freely available to survivors. However, we also needed to figure out how to generate revenue without compromising this commitment. Many potential impact investors were not willing to support us financially without understanding how we would generate profit. This forced us to recreate our business model. Balancing the need to keep our offering free for users while developing a sustainable revenue strategy was a significant hurdle.

To address this challenge, we pivoted by serving as a companion tool for those working with survivors of GBV. For organizations, using our tool requires minimal effort—essentially, they receive an email linking them to the survivors. This approach helps mitigate disruptions in service delivery by ensuring continuous access to information and maintaining communication with the survivor.

1. Be resilient by embracing grit, maintaining your vision and integrity, and staying flexible to contributions from others. Focus on being committed rather than attached—avoid being too fixated on specific outcomes or methods, because attachment can hinder growth, new ideas, and collaboration.
2. Stay curious and maintain openness to acquiring new skills. As a founder, your expertise is valuable, but being open to learning and exploring new aspects of innovation is crucial for success.
3. Test and make it easy for potential clients to say ‘yes.’ You can do this by starting with small, low risk tests to validate your idea (crawl), expanding to involve more users or organizations and refining based on initial feedback (walk), and rolling out on a larger scale after integrating lessons learned from previous phases (run).