What is the name of your organization?
Gender Rights in Tech
What is the name of your solution?
Zuzi: AI SRH Chatbot
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
A feminist AI solution improving equitable access to sexual reproductive health services, including abortion, through localized and inclusive design.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Cape Town, South Africa
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
South Africa
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
South Africa has some of the highest rates of gender-based violence (GBV) in the world, with over 40% of women experiencing violence in their lifetime. GBV is deeply linked to poor sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes-including unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and unsafe abortion. Survivors often lack access to accurate, confidential, and non-judgmental information about their health rights and available services. Fear of stigma, retaliation, and broken referral systems further isolate survivors and block access to safe abortion and healthcare support.
Across sub-Saharan Africa, unsafe abortion remains a leading cause of maternal death, and the digital divide compounds the problem-especially for rural youth and marginalized groups. While AI holds the promise of expanding access to health information, most tools are not localized, lack cultural nuance, and often exclude survivors' lived realities.
We are addressing this gap by developing an AI-driven SRH tool co-created with GBV survivors and youth. The tool provides safe, anonymous, and localized guidance on SRH and abortion care, rooted in trauma-informed practice. By integrating GBV support into SRH access pathways, our solution bridges critical gaps in care, increases agency, and improves health outcomes for those most affected by gendered violence.
What is your solution?
Our solution is Zuzi, an AI-powered, trauma-informed health chatbot that supports individuals navigating SRH and GBV. Designed for WhatsApp, facebook and web platforms, Zuzi provides accurate, culturally sensitive, and localized information about abortion access, consent, emergency contraception, and how to seek care after GBV.
Co-created with survivors and youth from underserved communities, Zuzi uses generative AI and natural language processing to deliver answers in everyday language. The chatbot guides users through complex processes - such as how to get a protection order or access safe abortion services - while prioritizing privacy, simplicity, and emotional safety. It is currently active in English, Zulu and Setswana, with plans to expand into other South African languages and regional dialects.
Unlike many digital tools, Zuzi was designed with communities, not just for them. Its content is regularly updated through participatory research and real-time feedback loops with youth, legal advocates, and health workers. The chatbot’s dataset is built with ethical AI standards, designed to minimize harm and ensure equitable access to care.
Zuzi is already being integrated into clinics and schools, with the aim of expanding SRH knowledge and empowering users - especially girls, youth, and survivors - to make informed health decisions.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Our solution primarily serves adolescent girls, young womxn (ages 13–25), survivors of GBV, and marginalised groups - including LGBTQIA+ youth, migrants, and those living in rural areas - in South Africa. These populations face some of the highest rates of GBV globally and face persistent barriers to accessing SRH information and services, including safe abortion, post-rape care, emergency contraception, and psychosocial support.
Currently, these groups are underserved by healthcare and justice systems due to structural inequality, stigma, lack of youth-friendly services, and a digital divide that excludes them from critical information. Many do not know where to go, what rights they have, or how to safely access care.
Zuzi addresses these gaps by offering a low-data, anonymous chatbot available on WhatsApp and the web, guiding users through their rights, available services, and actionable next steps. By simplifying access to health and legal information in everyday language and local dialects, Zuzi empowers users to make informed decisions, seek timely help, and reclaim their agency. The solution is trauma-informed, localised, and co-created with its users, ensuring it responds directly to the lived realities of those most affected.
