StartupSmart accessories for women’s safety

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Tackling a problem as big as “violence against women” is bound to be complicated. Deep-seated machismo, sexist language and inequality in the workplace are just a few indications of an enormous and vast overarching issue. And the data is indisputable, leaving almost no room for doubt: 6 million women experience at least one incident of physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.

On TV, in the papers, on social media– we’re flooded with news, information and sometimes speculation about a problem that shows no sign of going away. It’s definitely something that stands in the way of progress, and we can honestly say that violence against women is an obstacle to innovation.

It’s impossible to think of the future, plan smarter cities, or make smart devices and solutions to everyday problems if we’re not doing anything to improve safety. Because it’s true that we all want to live in more modern cities with advanced technological systems, but no one would trade that for their own security. On the contrary, we’re looking for technology that can actually improve our day-to-day safety, and a more connected, safer world. But the government’s new budget does not bode well. Almost 2 billion euros a year are earmarked for pensions, while just 60 million is going toward equal opportunities, and will be split across anti-trafficking funds, plans for violence against women and support for female-run businesses. The issues are lumped indiscriminately together in a one big pot.  Nothing comes free for women, especially support from institutions. But at least there are signs of better things to come from the TECH world.

Better signs from tech world

Planning, developing and bringing stylish and well-designed smart objects to market is one way of providing concrete solutions. It might seem invasive, and it might be scary to think that a woman walking down the street or going out at night would need to carry a location tracking device. But it’s also true that technology and innovations respond to a need in society. No one can deny the increase in the number of victims of violent crimes. That’s the reason behind Bluetooth-enabled wearables that send messages to our contacts–objects that we can wear without too much trouble, and that actually incorporate style and design trends.

Smart accessories for women’s safety

One such device is Eachpal Halo, which was presented at the Mobile Work Congress. This stylish bracelet lets the wearer send an SOS to a pre-programmed contact, or any other nearby user. It’s easy to use–touching the bracelet 3 times sends a signal to the wearer’s smartphone to send a pre-programmed message and GPS location to all the relevant contacts.

Other functions can be activated with arm or wrist movements, like starting a call, activating the camera, taking photos remotely, recording audio, playing music and much more.

Safelet is another bracelet, which is available in 4 colors and costs $110. There’s an internal microphone that can record what’s happening around it. This is also GPS-enabled and sends signals to preset contacts.

In addition to bracelets, rings are another potentially smart accessory that a woman can use.

Nimb is a ring with a hidden button, which the wearer can press to send a help message and their location to preset contacts, thanks to integrated GPS. It’s a sort of wearable panic button that instantly sends your position. The project is currently on Kickstarter and has reached its goal of 50 thousand dollars.

This next one isn’t a bracelet or a ring–it’s a simple gadget. Athena is a wireless device from Roar For Good, a Philadelphia-based team trying to create “a world where everyone feels safe.” It can be kept in a bag or used as a necklace. This also earned 40 thousand dollars on Indiegogo in just 8 days.


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  • Athena Wearable - Woman Security Gadget

 

All of this innovative energy indicates a clear awareness of a problem that’s not just a social plague, but also a huge obstacle to any plans for the future. The first goal for progress needs to be, beyond any shadow of a doubt, safety. And this holds true whether we’re talking about women, children, the elderly or any other member of society.

Michela Di Nuzzo

« Se scrivo ciò che sento è perché così facendo abbasso la febbre di sentire». - Fernando Pessoa Giornalista e co-founder, vivo il digital come imprenditrice e appassionata. Percepisco il cambiamento come un'opportunitá mai una minaccia. Occhi spalancati e orecchie aperte, sempre pronta alla condivisione, la chiave di ogni evoluzione.

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