“Safe and Sound” app project.
In the context of Ms. Betty Tsakarestou’s workshop, our team (Charis Zarbalas, Christos Daniilidis, Martha Davari, Danai Lyratzi, Asimina Christodoulatou, Frossini Drakouli) decided to find a solution to a subject relevant to SDGs 5 and 16. SDG stands for Substainable Development Goal, set by the UN and its partners to build a better world.
The goals we decided to deal with are the two following: Goal 5 has to do with achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls and Goal 16 is about promoting just, peaceful and inclusive societies. As mentioned by Charis in our team’s previous article “She asked for it”, the problem we’re trying to treat is rape culture.
Our personal goal is to help women and girls feel and actually be safe walking alone and reaching their destinations. So, we all sat together and the brainstorming began. All ideas were heard, accepted, developed or used as a base for our final project. The result of this process was an application called “Safe and Sound”.
The “Safe and Sound” app offers multiple services. First of all, it provides its users with maps showing them the safest way to reach their destination, through the brightest and most crowded roads. There is also the “Red Button” service. Pressing the red button, the application sends signal to the emergency center providing them with the user’s current location, so that they can send someone to help as soon as possible. The application’s forum gives the user the opportunity to chat with people online while being on their way, just to feel safer, get their mind off the current situation and ask if someone is nearby. This service can also be useful when it comes to sharing information and experiences about specific routes. There is also a way for users to contact us asking for help or wanting to help us provide even more accurate information, sending us their experiences, their opinion about several roads. Finally, it is possible to use our application only with Internet connection and the GPS function.
However, rape culture has to do with the acceptance of rape incidents, the victims feeling guilty and the rapists not paying for their actions. This is not women’s problem and we should not just help them feel safer or learn how to protect themselves, via an application. This is the society’s and rapists’ problem. Women and girls should feel safe at all times.
Rape is not a manhood sign, these crimes are not some kind of confirmation or proof of pride and power. The human body is not some type of trophy or some object of pleasure. Sex should not turn into a crime. Sex should not exist without the consent of both sides. That’s exactly why, except from the application, we are in need of a campaign, we are in need of testimonies, we are in need of a change of mind. Families should raise their children according to SDGs 5 and 16, teaching them all the above. And we are going to raise awareness and make a change, concerning our society’s function and the so-called “rape culture”.
