The Umhlanga Women’s Association (UWA) and Mzansi Securifire have partnered to invent a mobile app that will promote safety among men and women who find themselves victims of gender-based violence.
The Mzansi E-Panic App was launched on May 6, at the Oyster Box in Umhlanga, after an Umhlanga resident was murdered recently in a gender-based violence attack.
The app is available to download and requires data to operate.
“It came as a shock to us that a community member was killed due to gender-based violence,” said Karusha Naicker, director of the UWA.
“We didn’t think that these incidents could occur in the higher LSM (living standard measure) areas,” said Ms Naicker.
“The association began looking for avenues to combat this form of violence and we came up with the ACE campaign which translates to awareness, combat, educate. We then approached Mzansi Securifire and they suggested the Mzansi E-Panic App as a possible solution.”
Ms Naicker said the app is a state-of-the-art solution that uses GPS technology to pinpoint the user’s exact location.
The security company would provide immediate assistance in the case of a gender-based violence incident or any other situation requiring urgent assistance.
The app is designed to provide an easy-to-use interface, enabling users to quickly and simply request the appropriate assistance they need, she said. You will need to register your profile on the app, with your personal details. This information will be used to track victims who call for assistance.
“The campaign itself is aimed at educating people, especially younger women – to help them identify the different types of abuse. Abuse is not only physical. We also want to eradicate the stigma of feeling ashamed. Anybody can get help and should get help, no matter who you are or where you come from,” Ms Naicker said.
Carrie Sanders, marketing specialist for Mzansi Securifire, said the app offers victims peace of mind by providing a reliable emergency response system, which can be activated with a single tap on their smartphone.
“The app was introduced a few years ago but has only been used for the GBV campaign since the beginning of April,” said Ms Sanders. “The app can be used across Durban, however the GBV campaign is only focused on the Durban North/Umhlanga areas.”
Ms Sanders said since the app became available, they have been able to help gender-based violence victims get to safety. She said the response time is 10 minutes from the time a call is logged within the Durban North/Umhlanga areas. The app is designed to provide an easy-to-use interface, enabling users to quickly and simply request the appropriate assistance they need, said Ms Sanders.
In the State of the Nations address earlier this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa described gender-based violence and femicide as the country’s “second pandemic”.
The National Strategic Plan on gender-based violence and femicide is the government’s comprehensive strategy for tackling all forms of violence and abuse against women and children.
Since the launch of the strategic plan in 2020, several new interventions have been implemented, including extensive legal reform; support for survivors through the provision of evidence kits at police stations; psychological and social services; the establishment of a gender-based violence and femicide Response Fund and support for Thuthuzela and Khuseleka Care Centres – which provide vital services for gender-based violence survivors. Twenty billion rand was dedicated over the medium-term to the implementation of the six pillars of the plan, including the economic empowerment of women.
President Ramaphosa said the government is implementing new legislation which has strengthened the criminal justice system, put more effective deterrents in place to promote accountability and enabled better protection and support for survivors.
With all this legislation in place, gender-based violence incidents and deaths continue to take the lives of too many victims.
