A Kenyan Contextual Analysis of Convergent Vulnerabilities in Femicide, Human Trafficking, Displacement and the Role of Digital Intervention

Abstract

In this paper, the gap existing in the study of victimology shall be filled by the analysis of overlapping vulnerability of the following categories of victims that remain confined to separate discourses: femicide, trafficking, and displaced populations due to war or natural disasters. These populations, although with diverse causes, are common in that they suffer from being invisible within overstretched or otherwise ill-prepared aid mechanisms. The chaos associated with the displacement process and the secrecy involved in the act of trafficking provide an ideal environment for these victims to slip through the net and become invisible within the conventional aid and justice mechanisms. This study is anchored in the theories of Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological system theory and Galtung's (1969) structural violence theory. A qualitative desk research method will be used to review academic journals on victimology and criminology articles dating from 2017 to the present, regional human rights records, and pertinent Kenyan legislation.This paper contends that while vulnerability is not an attribute but something that results from system failures that lead to the marginalization of certain genders, classes, and nationalities, technological interventions, which in most cases become instruments used against victims, can serve as effective mechanisms for identifying and helping victims. Through an analysis of the fragmented state response in Kenya, recorded cases of femicide, high-risk areas of trafficking in refugee camps, and forced displacements due to climate change, the paper highlights some of the gaps in governance.

Keywords: Femicide, Human Trafficking, Displacement, Convergent Vulnerabilities, Digital Intervention, Structural Violence, Ecological Systems Theory, Kenya, Victimology

DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/153-01

Publication date: June 28^th 2026