We’re on the brink of 2020, and yet, even today in India, every time a girl/ woman steps out of her home, her family is worried whether she will be safe. This, despite her being amidst a sea of people. The rising figures of crime against women have added to the fear and concern. As per the National Crime Records Bureau, Delhi reported 11,542 cases of crime against women in 2017 — which is almost 32 cases a day, more than one every hour.
It is impossible for every woman to be accompanied by a male member of the family and the hope that people will educate their sons to be better human beings is still far fetched. Hence the need to look for alternatives. Teaching martial arts is one, and employing the use of technology another. In fact, effective use of technology can aid a woman in a much better way. Rising to this, many tech firms, apart from the Central and state governments, have come up with innovative apps and gadgets to ensure women safety. Here are a few:
My Buddy by Optisafe
This device can be placed in a pocket or a bag for easy access when needed in an emergency. You just have to pull the trigger for the siren to begin ringing. It has a perfect tracking system. When required, it sends SOS to three different numbers and can be connected to a smartphone as well. It also sends live tracking location. Not just women, it is quite helpful for senior citizens as well, in case they find themselves in an emergency situation.
112 India by Union Government
A part of the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), 112 India is an initiative of the Union Government which helps a person in distress seek assistance from local emergency service delivery departments and volunteers. The app sends emergency alerts with the user’s details (name, age and emergency contacts) and location information along with a call to 112 to the State Emergency Control Room and the person’s emergency contacts.It provides 24x7, efficient and effective response system, timely dispatch of field resources (police, health, fire and disaster management) to the location of incidence using the system. The system forwards the emergency alert to nearby online local volunteers as well. All you have to do is download the app from google app store and register yourself.
Himmat by Delhi Police
Brainchild of the Delhi Police, Himmat is for the women in Delhi. But you have to register on the Delhi Police website, upon completion of which you will receive an OTP. This has to be entered to configure the app on the device. In case a woman is in trouble, she can send an SOS alert from the app, which immediately captures her live location and surrounding audio-visual information and sends it to the Delhi Police Control Room. Subsequently, the nearest police station in the city is alerted and help is sent to the woman.
Safer by Leaf Wearables
A jewellery device, Safer, can be used to trigger alarm and send signals to pre-identified phone numbers, police and nearby users in case of emergency. It is a pendant made of rust-proof and non-corrosive metal casing, with a fashionable coloured stone that has the safety mechanism below it. The device is linked to wearer’s mobile using an application. Weighing less than 40g, it has a battery life of seven days on a single charge of 15 minutes.
LT Personal by Letstrack
This tracking device can be placed in a bag, in a trouser pocket or can be fastened with a belt. It provides 24-hour location history, free integrated chat/tracking app, unlimited sharing of devices, connectivity, SOS alarms, real time tracking, satellite view and others.