Pakistan’s largest province of Punjab has launched a new smartphone application that is designed to combat street harassment and other forms of violence against women. The app allows women to immediately report harassment, while enabling the police to respond quickly by tracking the user’s location via GPS. In addition, women can use the app to report physical violence at home and mark unsafe locations. The app also provides a toll-free help line.
The Pakistani women’s rights organization, “Peace and Development Foundation”, has welcomed the app but expressed concern that poor and rural women lack access to the technology. The group also notes that in order for the app to be effective, women need to trust the police. They said police should undergo training on gender-based violence and ensure complaints are handled properly
Compiled from: Mustafa, Waqar, Pakistani province launches app for women to report harassment, Thomson Reuters Foundation (January 5, 2017).