Sexual harassment is a global issue and Pakistan is also no stranger to the subject. Every day, one gets to hear about multiple accounts of harassment faced by women. As people have become more aware and tech/social media they have taken to online platforms to report their experiences that has given a rise to the #metoo movement in Pakistan.
In order to combat the issue of harassment and the problem of reporting, a group of students from Iqra University, Islamabad have come forward with a solution. They have developed a mobile app named ‘Speak Up’ that simplifies the process of reporting sexual harassment.
The app reportedly enables users to deal with harassment while making sure that the perpetrator is reported to the concerned authorities for the initiation of legal action.
The app enables the victim with a choice in filing a complaint without disclosing their identity. It is to be noted that the details such as gender of the victim and the offender, the site of offense, and that of the incident is required to file a case.
Furthermore, the app also has a feature called ‘distress message’ that enables a person to send out an emergency signal to three selected contacts with a single click of a button. Through this feature, the recipients will receive the incident location on a heatmap after which the information will be forwarded to the relevant authorities for legal action.
The technical and financial assistance for the project has been provided by the Pakistan Youth Change Advocates (PYCA).
