Zanele Sokatsha, centre, lead research for the GRIT project
She says she was breached by authorities. Now she's brainstorming an AI-integrated app with a panic button that informs personal security to help other ladies caught in South Africa's unfortunately high rates of abuse.
Peaches, as the 35-year-old sex worker asked to be identified, is among the more than a third of South African ladies that will experience physical or sexual abuse 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 gatekeeper, an evidence vault and a resource centre, the app will also consist of 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 button that releases security officers, an an AI-driven chatbot
"This app, it's going to give me that hope ... that my human rights should be considered," Peaches told AFP, pattern-wiki.win asking not to offer her real name to protect her safety.
There were more than 53,000 sexual offences reported in South Africa in 2023-24, including more than 42,500 rapes, according to police figures.
That very same year, 5,578 females were killed, a 34 percent increase from the previous year.
In Peaches' case, she said she was forced to give 2 policemans "services for complimentary" to evade arrest for prostitution.
"To me, GRIT isn't simply a project-- it's a requirement," founder Leanora Tima informed AFP.
"I desired to produce tech-driven options that empower survivors, ensuring they receive the urgent aid, legal guidance and emotional support they require without barriers," Tima said.
- 'Roadblocks to assist' -
Many cases of gender-based violence (GBV) go unreported due to the fact that victims deal with preconception or are turned away by authorities, said GRIT lead researcher Zanele Sokatsha.
'There's a great deal of roadblocks still in getting gain access to and aid,' Sokatsha says
"There's a great deal of roadblocks still in getting gain access to and aid," she said.
Thato, a lady in her 30s, said she sustained years of physical abuse by her stepfather before she found aid was available.
An avid football gamer, she said her coach understood that "some contusions were not actually associated to football".
It was only 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 women in her situation.
"It was actually heartfelt for me to find such an area," she said, choosing to give only her given name.
GRIT's app aims to make it simpler for women to gain access to resources from their homes, where much of the abuse happens.
It has a map of nearby centers and shelters and a digital vault where they can submit evidence like photos, videos and authorities reports that will be secured on GRIT's servers.
The functions are based on user feedback gathered at workshops around the nation.
"It will save lives," said one woman at the very same workshop participated in by Peaches.
The app is totally free, funded by GRIT's donors including the Gates Foundation and Expertise France. It currently has 12,000 users.
Once downloaded, it can work without data, making it available to those who can not pay for phone plans or remain in rural areas with minimal networks.
The chatbot Zuzi, to be released in the coming months, will be available on the app and also incorporated into certain social platforms, technical lead Lebogang Sindani said.
Zuzi was at first meant to provide only practical details, like how to obtain a defense order.
But its collection has actually been expanded after feedback "that individuals are more interested in 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 "a best storm" of a complex history of colonisation and partition, belief in male supremacy, a lack of excellent good example and financial stresses, said Craig Wilkinson, creator of Father A Country.
"No young boy is born an abuser," said Wilkinson, whose nonprofit concentrates on reaching men. "There's something failing in the journey from boy to man."
"All they know is violence," said Sandile Masiza, a coordinator of the GBV Response Team for Johannesburg's child welfare .
"We need more programmes that are not simply going to be solely focused on victim support, but wrongdoer avoidance," Masiza said.
"Society has normalised violence against women and girls," UN Women GBV professional Jennifer Acio informed AFP.
"That's why we keep sharing details and attempting to empower females ... to understand 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
Abby McPhee edited this page 2025-02-28 20:14:07 +01:00