In their unending fight for their basic gender rights and equality, women are now turning to digital technology and social media as tools of engagement against predators, exploiters and nuisance of all stripes and political color.
The Philippine Commission on Women and the Technological Institute of the Philippines-Quezon City has launched VAWfreePH, a personal safety mobile app that reports incidents of violence against women (VAW) to the proper authorities.
Launched during the 2017 18-Day Campaign To End VAW Kick-Off program, the mobile app could send SMS to three pre-selected contacts alerting them of the user’s exact location using GPS. When tapped, its SOS button triggers the mobile phone’s flashlight and sounds an alarm to draw public attention.
In Australia, Plan International gave young women an app through which they mapped sexual harassment hotspots in their cities. Three-quarters of those hotspots have been described as bad in terms of the likelihood of experiencing street harassment.
The crowdsourced mapping tool allowed Plan International to collect data that was not reported in crime statistics and covered the lived experience of harassed young women in Australia. Its development was triggered by the need to address women’s safety in public as more people move to cities from rural areas. It is projected that millions of young women would be living in cities by 2030 and such a mapping app could act as preliminary protection against the risk of sexual predation.
On its website, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has a gallery of apps created by women for women. These apps target diverse issues affecting women and girls around the world, such as their empowerment, security, and sex education.
For instance, rAInbow helps victims of domestic violence to overcome barriers including shame, stigma, and victim-blaming that could otherwise take years to reconcile. The chatbot is essentially an information tool — a companion to those who could not speak to anyone about what they’re going through. It provides early stage intervention for those who may be experiencing abuse, or what to do if they are. It is accessible to anyone 24/7 on Facebook Messenger and available in English.
Another app My Safetipin works towards making cities and spaces safer for women and girls to move around without fear. It collects and crowdsources data about perception of safety as well as specific features of the built environment in order to enhance safety precautions. Many women have used the app to share their own experiences as well as help them navigate their city with more confidence.
This time of Covid-19 instigated lockdown restrictions and stay at home measures has left more women at a higher risk of domestic violence. With assistance from the UN Development Program, a mobile app named Be Safe has been created for the Western Balkans region to provide SOS to victims of violence at home.
The free app triggers an alarm via text message to a professional support staff that is expected to immediately reach out and assess how to deal with the reported situation. It also has educational and informative content: on the victims’ rights and entitlements; useful contacts; and video self-defense tutorials, among others.
A preliminary research study titled “Mobile applications addressing violence against women: a systematic review” sought to assess the impact of apps in preventing harassment on women.
The review is premised on the framework that VAW is a global health problem currently being addressed by a new intervention strategy in mobile apps.
Of the 327 relevant apps around the world, 171 were shortlisted for the study based on five major functional categories such as emergency aspect, avoidance, education, reporting and evidence building, and supporting apps.
The review concluded that majority of the apps addressing violence against women primarily draws on one-time emergency or avoidance solutions, as opposed to more preventative approaches. It proposed further research to delve into critical issues relating to data security, personal safety and efficacy of such mobile apps as health intervention tools.
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