Gender: technology to fight gender based violence

Friday, 21 August 2015

In Cambodia, technology and social media are use to fight abuses and violences against women

Violence against women has long been endemic in Cambodia, borne out in widespread oppressive attitudes and harrowing statistics. The United Nations says one in four Cambodian women reported physical or sexual violence by a partner, while one in five men admitted to having committed rape, and more than 5 percent of men said they had engaged in gang rape.

Organisation aims to counter violences against women by using technology, and social media that are more and more prevalent in the country, partnering with entertainment workers, and engaging youth via large-scale campaigns. For instance, the US non-profit The Asia Foundation (TAF) released three smartphone apps to improve safety and raise awareness under its VXW program. One, named Safe Agent 008, has an alarm, an anonymous reporting mechanism, and a message system that automatically sends GPS coordinates to friends if women feel at risk.

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