Reclaiming streets with technology-based Safer Chennai

How does it work? The initiative consists of a mass safety audit across the city, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, where women will be able to rate the safety of areas on the app – thus providing a database of the roads as well as helping them find a secure path from their location to the destination. It can also be used to check how safe an area is, based on peer reviews.

“We came up with our #NoMoreNirbhaya mission last year in order to help women reclaim public spaces in the city and help them fight harassment. We began with audits of bus stops in Chennai as these are places women frequent on a daily basis. Now, we are taking it to the next level and asking volunteers all over Chennai to help us,” says co-founder Kavya Menon.

It is also important that the following people be invited to take part in the safety audits: a public official, so he/she may explore the neighbourhood and understand its needs through the eyes of the community, a community leader, so they may sense the insecurity experienced by women, and support actions to prevent violence against them.

The first safety audit is scheduled for June 16 in the areas of Anna Nagar, Shollinganallur, Tambaram and Thiruvanmiyur, with interested people requested to WhatsApp ‘SaferChennai’ to 8122241688 and participate in the programme. “However, they can also work as individuals within their community or area, download the app, rate the areas and record the data.”

After that, they hope women will take the mission into their own hands, discuss with neighbours and stakeholders, and engage in activities and campaigns to reform the area. They add that it is important to choose routes that are taken by women every day to drop their children to school or the health centre, or a street or an avenue where people come to catch public transport to go to work.