They could call a friend, share their location via WhatsApp, or keep their keys on hand. All strategies that help to stay safe.
For most of the year, sexual harassment against women has been in the news. Women across the UK are turning to their own methods to feel more comfortable when out at night.
Technology could play a role in making women feel more safe on the streets. The popularity of the WalkSafe app has increased since the murders in Sarah Everard, Sabina Nessa and others. It is currently the most popular safety app in the UK.
Emma Kaye, the founder of the company, came up with it after being harassed, groped and flashed at.
“Our app is bittersweet because we love being busy. We really wish it didn’t have to be there. She said that while no one wants to live in a world without safety apps, there is a place for them.
WalkSafe will soon have a new feature in its sat-nav system. This will include a live map that allows your family and friends to follow your journey and communicate with you. Its unique selling point is the map that allows users to plan their safest route back home by looking at crime data.
Ms Kaye stated that “our app encourages people have precautionary measures to prevent crime, rather than reactary measures when in an unfavorable situation.”
“We have ex-Metropolitan Police detectives, crime analysts and senior officers who go through the data and categorise it into the areas that users would like to know.” Users can spot crime hotspots and plan safer routes by looking at crime patterns.
The app has been downloaded more than 560,000 times since its launch in March.
Researchers at the University of Bath are working to find a solution to the problem of safety devices that are hard to activate. Epowar, a smartwatch app for women called by researchers at the University of Bath, will send out alerts when it detects distress. It does this by monitoring heart rate and motion.
E-J Roodt was the co-founder. She said that the idea came to her as a student while she was running in a dark park and worried about an attack.
She said, “When I saw smartwatches being used to detect heart attacks, I thought, well maybe that technology could also be applied to women’s safety.”
The app recognises distress and responds to users who are attacked while running or walking alone, despite the small sample size.
Ms. Roodt stated: “We thought a smartwatch with the app might be a way for others to alert us if a lady is struggling or restrained.”
“The key thing is that this would happen automatically and an attacker would have little to no time prevent it – which isn’t always possible with conventional panic buttons or rape alarms on your mobile phone.
Prosecutions
Rich Larsen is the founder of the bSafe app on smartphones and believes that his technology can help bring about prosecutions.
The emergency alarm feature is voice activated and can be activated by the user. The device then automatically begins live streaming audio and video to selected contacts and records all that is occurring.
Larsen stated that these recordings could be used as evidence in court cases, such as rape, which can often prove difficult to prove.
Charlen, his daughter who was raped, is the inspiration for the features of the app. Charlen, who has waived her anonymity to discuss the issue, believes that if she had bSafe she wouldn’t have to deal with the shame and guilt she felt.
Crown Prosecution Service data from 2020 shows that only 2,102 of the 58.845 rapes were prosecuted with 1,439 leading to convictions.
Other app companies have also expressed interest in bSafe. Larsen stated that he was currently working on an API platform to enable the integration of these features into other apps.
Government priority
The Home Office launched a PS5 Million fund in July to improve safety for women in public places at night. Some of these successful bids involve technology.
Police in Bristol, for example, are testing new kits to determine if drinks were spiked at nightclubs.
Cheshire police are upgrading their current call handling technology in order to give a visible and immediate reassuring response for a female calling for help.
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority promotes access to an online safety link for women on public transport such as bus tracking. This allows them to avoid standing alone at bus stops. For example, someone can track someone or use the technology to locate your smartphone.
Paladin, the national antistalking advocacy service, believes tech companies need to do more for victims of tech misuse.
Rachel Horman Brown, chairwoman of this charity, stated that many victims are monitored and tracked through their smartphones or tablets using spyware.
“Stalkers don’t need to physically place a tracking device on a victim in order to be able monitor them,” said the author.
Spyware can be a concern because it allows a stalker switch on the camera of a victim’s phone so they can see and hear what is going on. They can read, send and track their movements as well as send texts from the victim’s mobile phone. The proliferation of tracking devices like Apple AirTags and The Tile that help you locate your keys, wallet, or luggage has led to increased fears of stalking.
“These inexpensive tags can make it very easy for stalkers to hide one inside the victim’s vehicle or personal belongings and then be able track their victim’s location,” stated Ms Horman Brown.
This is a bigger issue
Farah Nazeer is the chief executive of Women’s Aid. She believes that technology alone cannot solve the problem of safety. “While technology, such as safety apps for phones and smartwatches, can help women feel safer on the streets,” she said.
“Women feel unsafe walking on the streets. This is not due to a lack in street lighting or safety apps. It’s because of the culture that encourages sexism, misogyny and violence against women and girls. This must be stopped.
“Many women tell us that the police and criminal justice system dismiss their experience with violent men. These services are supposed to protect us.
“We need to focus on changing the sexist attitudes that are deeply embedded in these services and system, so that women walk home feeling safe and protected.”
