This Saturday, November 25, marks the International Day Against Violence Against Women, so it’s the perfect opportunity to focus on an application that addresses this problem with a host of good ideas.
Women represent half of humanity, a half which unfortunately experiences much more insecurity on a daily basis than the other. If it is a major problem that takes a long (too) long time to resolve, many actions are being taken to move things forward, and the developers are not left out.
Indeed, if digital technology is also a vector of violence and harassment, its ability to connect individuals together can also help victims of sexual and gender-based violence, directly from their pocket.
Help at your fingertips
Smartphones have become great tools for calling emergency services or warning loved ones in the event of danger. At least, when things work as expected. The Sorority fits perfectly in this vein, seeking to “ break the isolation of women and people from gender minorities on a daily basis “.
Indeed, this application available on iOS and Android allows, with a simple click, to warn other users in the event of a dangerous situation. “ If you are followed on transport or in the evening, you can activate an emergency button, and from that moment on, there are fifty contacts with people close geographically “, explains Priscillia Routier-Trillard, instigator of The Sorority Foundation.
Alerted users can then either contact the victim by message, call them, or obtain their location to reach them. The idea is, not only to support the victim, but also to move the phenomenon of astonishment “ on the shoulders of the attacker “. A concept which has already shown its effectiveness with hundreds of alerts issued each year, and which makes it possible to help women in danger before it is too late.
Tens of thousands of users, and more waiting
The Sorority also helps you find safe places, connect with professionals, and get phone numbers for relevant authorities. The tools available to users are multiple and adapt to different contexts, from street harassment to domestic violence, to name but a few.
Priscillia Routier-Trillard, operations manager in a company specializing in the Cloud, embarked on this project in 2019. Since then, the application has more than 71,000 verified profiles, out of 200,000 registration requests. Entrance is currently reserved for women and people from gender minorities, but opening to all is planned for later, under certain conditions, so that The Sorority remains above all a refuge.
As The Sorority continues to build partnerships with other organizations, the association intends to sign an agreement with the French Ministry of the Interior. “ This will allow us to be recognized in police stations and gendarmes », Explains Ms. Routier-Trillard, who also launched the SAVE YOU platform, intended for French women living abroad and victims of domestic and intra-family violence. A huge step forward, more than welcome, but far from enough.
Source : Le Figaro, The Sorority
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