WeSafe to cut gender-based violence

WeSafe, a research and software project from Dhaka initiated by high school students, aims to reduce gender-based violence through human-computer interaction, as well as shine light on the unseen aspects of violence against women. Based on a recent Dhaka-based survey, 87 per cent women are likely to suffer from some form of gender based violence across their lifetime, with 64 per cent facing public harassment of some scale on a routine basis in Dhaka.
The project, which recently got a grant from Kidsright, which gives out the International Children's Peace Prize, is formed with youths from institutions around Dhaka and beyond with a goal to finding how technology can be leveraged against public harassment and violence against women.
Sabit Ibtisam Anan, the founder of the project, started it as a research initiative to understand why projects of similar nature fail to become practical and reach mass adoption. The scale of gender-based violence, especially in developing countries, has always been incredibly high, and the use of an application software to reduce instances of public harassment is not a new prospect and has dated back since the inception of smartphones. But it has proved to be a rather difficult challenge, unlike other problems that technology so readily solved. When Sabit was asked why this is the case, he responded, "Primarily, these safety projects often failed because they could not become self-sustaining. And then, these apps were never practical and realistic, hardly listening to end users and underestimating the complex nuances of public harassment and gender-based violence."
Sabit noticed that the approach towards the problem was the key issue, in his words: "It was never about eliminating public harassment, but reducing the likelihood of facing such events in the first place." The project started off as a way to give relevant geospatial information to users, so that they can make more informed decisions during commuting and when outside. But the scope of it quickly grew, as he started to research more into the issue, ideating new features, talking to end-users and validating the ideas through different surveys and tests. His experience in software development and data science helped as well, as many of the novel functionalities rely on analysing data and assisting users in real time. Starting in late 2022, WeSafe's core team gradually grew to six passionate researchers and developers, and an extended member base from various female and co-ed high schools across Dhaka.
Bringing in past experience and passion from previous student-led social innovations, the team looks forward to expediting their application's development, as well organise different in-person events with the project's partner organisations.
Violence against women remains a pervasive issue everywhere in the world, especially in the developing world. This ranges from 40 per cent in Mexico City, 55 per cent in Karachi to 99.3 per cent in Cairo. And 20 per cent of all cases usually result in assault.
"I didn't understand the scale of this problem until I contextualised it in my own life. The statistics that ‘64per cent women in Dhaka face public harassment on a daily basis’ basically translates to the fact that, statistically, two out of the three closest women in my life are likely to suffer from the same fate. I wanted to do something about it, even if it's a small contribution," added Sabit.
Gender- based violence goes beyond background and socio-economic status, and while there are some factors that lead to less or more occurrence, the problem is still an universal one, deeply rooted in societal norms and carried by stigma and fear of speaking up. Sheikh Hasin Abrar Alvi, from WeSafe's research team notes: "We did some independent anonymous research with 150+ intended users on our own prior to development, and we found that, two out of four females are hesitant about speaking up when faced with such instances. When asked why, 70 per cent of the respondents mentioned ‘victim shaming’ being the key issue."
During the team's tests and surveys, users noted that the practicality of the features stood out for them. One user mentioned, "Something like this helps to make inaccessible things accessible, which is why I am looking forward to it the most." Another user, who later joined the team as a researcher stated, "The project's focus on gender-based violence from the lenses of youth is what attracted me the most, enabling the project to be more relevant, and we hope to uncover things left out by traditional research."
While Bangladesh moves forward, the shift in mindset on certain matters remains relatively slow, and the apprehension stemming from this stagnation is evident in the voices of those who suffered from gender- based violence. The norm of not speaking up pervades in many scales, from ‘casual’ workplace harassment to serious assault, for millions of individuals globally, due to the stigma that exists against speaking up. Gender- based violence often becomes the source of sustained and painful trauma. Upto 60 per cent women are likely to struggle with mental trauma because of a background of gender- based violence, especially domestic and sexual violence.
Sabit and his team strive towards finding the intersection between technology and social research, and contributing towards reducing gender- based violence and assisting individuals. "A big part of our application is about helping past victims get the necessary help they need, because finding help, especially after events of harassment in Bangladesh is difficult, riddled with stigma and misinformation. This is something I noticed firsthand with a close friend, who had some bad experiences with a relative but could not speak up," added Mehrin Khan, a developer on the project.
Sabit notes that WeSafe endeavours to create an impactful application that not only empowers individuals with geospatial information but also extends a lifeline to past victims navigating the challenges of seeking help. As they work towards dismantling stigma and misinformation, the team envisions a future where their innovative approach contributes significantly to the reduction of gender-based violence, fostering a safer and more inclusive society for all.

Abrar Mahir is a sports aficionado and technology enthusiast who likes to write from time to time.
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