In Latin America, there are free Apps that have a panic function to send the selected contacts, or the police a call for help. In order to particularly protect women better.
Over 2300 women have been killed in Latin America, according to the UN economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in 2018. And among the 25 countries with the highest Rate of Femiziden, 14 of which are to be found, according to UN Women from Latin America. In view of this Situation, women look for means and strategies to protect themselves.
Although many Latin American countries have adopted in recent years, laws, gender-based violence and harassment on the street or in the workplace, under penalty, the Region is, according to the United Nations as one of the most dangerous women in the world. The highest femicide rate in the world, El Salvador 6.8 woman murders per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Honduras, with a ratio of 5.1.
“A study of the Argentine women’s rights NGO ‘Ahora que sí nos ven’ States that 90 percent of women use public transport or Taxis to your Smartphone, to stay with well-Known,” says Damaris Ruiz, coordinator for women’s rights in the Latin American section of OXFAM, in an interview with DW.
Mobile Smartphone applications can protect women from potential violence. “In Latin America and the Caribbean, a variety of Apps for women that have become widespread. There are also some governments that have contributed to the development – after feminist organizations were calling for a solution,” affirms the expert.
Technical Assistant
In several Latin American countries, there are now free mobile applications that have a panic button to selected contacts or to other users in the vicinity, send a call for help to. The App sends the spatial data and the receiver can quickly come to the place where the vulnerable woman is, and help her.
In Bogotá the application, SafetiPin, neighbourhood, and roads helps to locate that are for women safe.
There are several Apps that work according to this method, such as, for example, No More (Spain), We Help (Mexico), Botón de Pánico Ni una menos (Argentina), #NiUnaMenos (Peru) and Antonia (Chile). Another similar App No estoy sola, which was developed by the office for women’s rights in the city of Juarez and in Mexico is widely used. Smartphones, on which this App is installed, just need to be shaken to activate the Alarm. “There are often situations in which there is no time to write a message,” says Ruiz.
Another way to facilitate the Triggering of the Alarm was found in the App Mujer Segura Alerta Rosa (Mexico): Users wear a bracelet with a panic button that sends the Signal to a police. This type of Call does not require in women, but it is a fundamental trust in the local police forces, which in Latin America is the same in all countries, of course. For example, in Mexico there was in the recent past, cases of Rape by police officers.
Some Apps try to make in addition to assistance. So there are Apps that establish a confidential way to report to a display, information on gender, offer-based violence and access to legal and psychological counselling to enable. Examples of this Junt@s (Peru), Ella’s App (Colombia, Mujer Alerta (Mexico) and SofiApp (Colombia) are.
“These applications not only serve to share the current location and to send a threat message, but also find ways to close the gap in the reporting and the actions of the judiciary,” States Damaris Ruiz.
Secure the quarter-mark
With the App, Vive segura (Mexico city), women bring harassment on public transport or in public places directly to the display. An Indian App called SafetiPin has a similar function, but gives the User the possibility to mark parts of the city and roads on a map as safe or unsafe. SafetiPin is also available in Kenya, and since 2014 also in Bogotá, Colombia.
“We have found that the violence against women variables, which are of enormous importance – such as, for example, the lack of presence of security forces in dark environments, and that at night in Bogotá, mainly men are on the go. Out of ten people, nine are men,” says Carlota Alméciga, former head of the Department of knowledge management in the city administration of Bogotá. In many large cities in Latin America are lacking due to mismanagement, corruption and lack of funding to police forces.
Horror for many women: A crowded S-Bahn in Buenos Aires.
With German support by the German society for International cooperation (GIZ) is now the second Phase to the end of the coverage of the entire urban area within SafetiPin was made possible. “The cards are accessible to the public and allow the women to choose safe routes in their environment,” explains Alméciga.
Means of transport for women
The application Laudrive in Mexico, as well as Sara Ladies & Teens in Argentina, to offer a sort of Uber-Service with women drivers for female passengers. “This Service provides security, comfort and peace for both sides: of both the driver and the customer, with whom you are to know,” says Felipe Martinez, chief of Sara LT, compared to the DW. The driving service for women will soon start in Colombia and Central America, Peru and Uruguay are expected to follow. How helpful this App is Numbers from Argentina: 14% of women in a study by the NGO ‘Ahora que sí nos ven’, that you feel harassed sometimes by drivers.
For those who have no mobile Internet, the possibilities are limited. According to the OXFAM expert Damaris Ruíz, the digital divide is Latin-in many countries America is still very large.
Women rely in this case on simple strategies and recommendations: Never alone on the road, the license plate number of the taxi remember, while driving on the phone with a friend or a girlfriend. Every precaution is important when it comes to your own safety.