MTN Cameroon backs Hackathon tech against GBV.

The competition, held from December 8 to 10, at the Cameroon Digital Innovation Center in Yaounde, brought together software developers, designers, gender experts, legal professionals, social innovators and students. 

It unfolded under the theme: “Innovating to Protect: Digital Solutions Against Gender-Based Violence”. Participants worked intensively to build prototypes that can help break the silence surrounding GBV.

The Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Prof Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa, and the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Minette Libom Li Likeng, presided the opening on December 8, in the presence of officials of MTN Cameroon and other partners.

Both members of government in separate remarks underscored the urgency of addressing GBV through a coordinated national response. 

MTN Cameroon said the initiative responds directly to disturbing statistics from the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey, which revealed that 43% of Cameroonian women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical or sexual violence, while 32% of married women face abuse from their spouses. 

It had also detailed that access to reporting and support systems remains limited, leaving many cases undocumented or unresolved.

Beyond physical violence, officials said digital violence is also alarmingly rising as close to 45.5% of young women have experienced online harassment or abuse.

Per a 2029 report by Internet Sans Frontières, cyberstalking, revenge porn, identity theft and online blackmail continue to intensify as internet penetration deepens across the country.

Innovative approach against GBV

Within the context, officials said the hackathon aims to encourage the development of cutting-edge tools that respond to five major challenges of preventing GBV in communities and digital spaces; raising awareness through education and early prevention; strengthening digital safety for women and girls; developing personal protection tools and real-time alert systems and enhancing cybersecurity and safeguarding sensitive GBV data.

Participants were tasked with creating solutions that ensure secured data storage, encrypted reporting mechanisms, confidential sharing of information and platforms that involve men as allies in the fight against GBV. 

Other priorities included the design of systems to detect, document and combat online violence such as harassment, cyberbullying and revenge porn.

Senior Manager for Corporate Affairs at MTN Cameroon, Marie Germaine Ndzie, said the company’s participation reflects its longstanding commitment to supporting women and young people through technology.

“MTN Cameroon could only stand alongside CARE Cameroon for this initiative, more militantly, for this fight,” she stated, noting that MTN Cameroon has for years taken concrete actions to combat GBV.

Ndzie cited awareness campaigns, digital inclusion projects and technological solutions for prevention and protection. “This hackathon naturally continues that commitment,” Ndzie stated. 

Ethical, responsible innovation

Given the sensitive nature of GBV, organisers instituted a strict Ethical and Safety Charter to guide the competition.

It involves mandatory encryption to guarantee protection of personal data; trauma-informed design to avoid re-victimization; an inclusive, safe work environment for all participants; open-source development to ensure transparency and broad adoption and on-site psychological support for participants who may experience emotional distress.

Participants, prizes, expected impact 

The event was open to a broad range of actors, including web, mobile, AI and blockchain developers; UI/UX designers; cybersecurity experts; gender and legal specialists; entrepreneurs; and students in technology or social sciences. 

Teams of two to four were encouraged to be multidisciplinary and gender-inclusive, with a particular preference for women-led groups.

Winners will receive 1,000,000 FCFA shared among the top three teams, as well as six months of incubation support from Africanwits. 

TOGETECH will provide technical and business mentoring, while winners will also gain access to a network of investors and potential partners. Outstanding solutions may be piloted for real-world application.

Organisers said the competition is intended to build a sustainable tech ecosystem dedicated to combating GBV, creating a community of innovators committed to women’s safety.

It will also increase awareness of GBV within the Cameroonian tech industry, produce open-source digital tools adaptable by other African countries as well as influence public policy through evidence-based technological solutions

About organisers

CARE Cameroon, with over 45 years of presence in the country, is a leading humanitarian organisation known for its work on gender equality and protection of vulnerable populations.

MTN Cameroon, one of the nation’s largest mobile operators, continues to drive digital inclusion and socio-economic development.

Africanwits, a technology innovation hub, supports African-driven solutions to address local challenges.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3652 of Thursday December 11, 2025