Zanele Sokatsha, centre, lead research for the GRIT task
She states she was broken by authorities. Now she's brainstorming an AI-integrated app with a panic button that alerts personal security to assist other females caught in South Africa's unfortunately high rates of abuse.
Peaches, bphomesteading.com as the 35-year-old sex worker asked to be recognized, archmageriseswiki.com is among the more than a 3rd of South African women that will experience physical or sexual assault in their lifetimes, according to UN figures.
Slender and outspoken, she remained in a group of around 15 females who collected late January to workshop the most recent update of the app developed by the not-for-profit GRIT (Gender Rights In Tech).
Equipped with an emergency situation button that deploys security officers, an evidence vault and setiathome.berkeley.edu a resource centre, the app will likewise include an AI-driven chatbot called Zuzi that will be showcased at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris this month.
The app has an emergency situation button that releases gatekeeper, an an AI-driven chatbot
"This app, it's going to provide me that hope ... that my human rights must be considered," Peaches informed AFP, asking not to give her real name to secure her security.
There were more than 53,000 sexual offenses reported in South Africa in 2023-24, consisting of more than 42,500 rapes, according to authorities figures.
That very same year, 5,578 ladies were murdered, a 34 percent increase from the previous year.
In Peaches' case, she said she was required to provide 2 law enforcement officers "services free of charge" to avert arrest for prostitution.
"To me, GRIT isn't simply a job-- it's a necessity," creator Leanora Tima told AFP.
"I wanted to produce tech-driven services that empower survivors, guaranteeing they receive the urgent aid, legal guidance and emotional support they need without barriers," Tima said.
- 'Roadblocks to assist' -
Many cases of gender-based violence (GBV) go unreported since victims deal with stigma or are turned away by authorities, said GRIT lead scientist Zanele Sokatsha.
'There's a lot of roadblocks still in getting gain access to and aid,' Sokatsha states
"There's a lot of obstructions still in getting gain access to and aid," she said.
Thato, a female in her 30s, said she sustained years of physical abuse by her stepfather before she found aid was available.
An gamer, forum.pinoo.com.tr she said her coach realised that "some bruises were not really associated to football".
It was just when the coach took the team to an anti-GBV event in Soweto, southwest of Johannesburg, that she found out there were organisations that assist females in her scenario.
"It was actually heartfelt for me to find such a space," she said, preferring to offer just her first name.
GRIT's app aims to make it simpler for women to gain access to resources from their homes, where much of the abuse occurs.
It has a map of close-by clinics and shelters and a digital vault where they can submit evidence like pictures, videos and cops reports that will be protected on GRIT's servers.
The features are based upon user feedback gathered at workshops around the country.
"It will conserve lives," said one female at the very same workshop participated in by Peaches.
The app is totally free, moneyed by GRIT's donors consisting of the Gates Foundation and Expertise France. It already has 12,000 users.
Once downloaded, it can work without data, garagesale.es making it available to those who can not manage phone strategies or fraternityofshadows.com remain in rural areas with restricted networks.
The chatbot Zuzi, to be launched in the coming months, prazskypantheon.cz will be available on the app and likewise integrated into certain social platforms, technical lead Lebogang Sindani said.
Zuzi was initially intended to offer only practical details, like how to obtain a security order.
But its repertoire has been expanded after feedback "that people are more thinking about talking with Zuzi about ... intimate things" like their health, Sindani said.
- 'All they understand' -
Even if there are more services than ever to assist women who are attacked and strong public condemnation of cases that make it to the media, South Africa's abuse rates remain stubbornly high.
It is "an ideal storm" of a complex history of colonisation and partition, belief in male supremacy, an absence of good role models and financial stresses, said Craig Wilkinson, creator of Father A Nation.
"No boy is born an abuser," said Wilkinson, whose nonprofit concentrates on reaching guys. "There's something failing in the journey from young boy to guy."
"All they know is violence," said Sandile Masiza, a coordinator of the GBV Response Team for Johannesburg's kid welfare authority.
"We need more programmes that are not just going to be solely concentrated on victim assistance, but perpetrator avoidance," Masiza said.
"Society has actually normalised violence against women and women," UN Women GBV expert Jennifer Acio told AFP.
"That's why we keep sharing details and attempting to empower females ... to know what is an abuse of their rights, to understand when to report."
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AI App Offers a Lifeline For S.Africa's Abused Women
Aaron Barbosa edited this page 2025-02-10 17:27:12 +02:00