Zuzi AI: Inclusive & Safer Digital Spaces

Project Summary

Zuzi AI is a multilingual chatbot developed by GRIT – Gender Rights in Tech – to support survivors of gender-based violence, including tech-facilitated abuse.

Co-created with 2,000+ youth, LGBTQIA+ people, sex workers, migrants, and rural communities, it offers trauma-informed guidance on legal rights, mental health, GBV protections, and digital safety. It bridges a critical gap by answering anonymised, often-stigmatised questions that survivors and youth may be too afraid, unsafe, or unsupported to ask in person—especially when facing judgment from service providers.

Deployed on WhatsApp, Facebook, and web in South African languages, it runs on low-data platforms and is trained on ethical, community-generated data gathered through GRIT’s nationwide fieldwork. Recognised by UNFPA safety showcase, Africa Tech and the Gates Foundation, Zuzi is ready to scale across under-resourced regions.

Presentation of the Organization

GRIT – Gender Rights in Tech is a South African feminist nonprofit that builds survivor-centered digital tools to close justice, safety, and support gaps for those facing GBV and TFGBV. GRIT leads the development of Zuzi AI, overseeing its design, ethical dataset creation, and community partnerships. All tools are co-created with marginalised groups to ensure relevance, inclusion, and rights-based impact.