A new digital initiative aimed at strengthening protection for women and girls has been launched, extending the momentum of the global 16 Days of Activism campaign beyond its December 10 conclusion.
YouthSPAC, in partnership with Sorority Inc., has unveiled a safety app designed to help users quickly locate safe spaces and alert trusted responders during emergencies linked to gender based violence.
The app allows individuals as young as 12 to register and activate an SOS alert, which guides users to the nearest designated safe haven. Organizers say the tool is intended to reduce fatalities connected to domestic abuse while increasing awareness and collective responsibility in addressing violence against women and girls.
Founder of YouthSPAC, Kentillia Louis, said the decision to support the initiative was driven by the lived experiences consistently shared by women during the organization’s outreach activities.
“When this opportunity came with this app, we decided we had to be part of it,” Louis said.
“In the last few years, the different activities we have generally always have a discussion element, and one of the things that stood out to me is that if there’s a room or if I am with five women, at least three of the five women will tell me of an incident where they’ve been discriminated against or they’ve experienced aggression or violence.”
Director of Gender Affairs, Janey Joseph, said the app aligns with evolving national efforts to address gender based violence, particularly following legislative changes in recent years.
“Since broadening the definition of domestic violence in the Domestic Violence Act of 2022, agencies providing services for GBV report that there are newer forms of violence being reported,” Joseph explained.
“Although this year’s theme focused on how digitization is used as a medium to perpetuate violence, the partnership of YouthSPAC and Kuso International with the Sorority app opens a new conversation.”
Joseph added that the initiative demonstrates how technology can also be leveraged as a protective tool rather than a source of harm.
Sorority Inc. Coordinator Sophie Picavet highlighted the urgent need for solutions that recognize where and by whom violence most often occurs.
“Eighty percent of the female homicides are committed by someone we know, by someone who is close to us, and that’s an awful number,” Picavet said. “Eighty percent of violence against women and girls occur in places we know. We want to create safe places, we want to create safe tools, and there are solutions implemented today which will be actually a big help and a proof of solidarity for tomorrow, and that is exactly what the Sorority app is.”
Organizers say the app represents a practical step in empowering women and girls with immediate access to support, reinforcing the message that the fight against gender based violence continues well beyond designated awareness campaigns.