Women Fight Back On Rape With New Phone App
October 14, 2011 No Comments
It seems like every new phone application is either useless (like giving you a cartoon beer to chug), or offensive (like the fake girlfriend app or the one that helps guys track their girlfriend’s periods). Finally, there’s an app out there that could actually help people — India’s new “Fight Back” app launches next month and aims to help women protect themselves against rape.
In New Delhi there is a rape every 18 hours. To help fight these attacks, the “Fight Back” app allows women to press a single button that sends GPS coordinates to five friends or family members as well as to the police. The button also sends an alarm to your social networking sites.
This is an awesome way of using technology to empower women. Physically fighting off an attacker can be dangerous for a woman. Even screaming can be ignored. I hope that this app is taken seriously by family and police officers who get the distress signal.
There is only one drawback. What happens to the women who can’t afford a cell phone and who don’t have access to social networking sites? The app will also cost money and sexual attacks won’t be stopped if only wealthier women can defend themselves. Hopefully the app’s technology can be made into a small, inexpensive device for women without phones, because all women should have the chance to “Fight Back.”
Contact the author here: jennY@morningquickie.com
