Zanele Sokatsha, centre, lead research for the GRIT project
She says she was violated by authorities. Now she's brainstorming an AI-integrated app with a panic button that informs private security to help other ladies caught in South Africa's unfortunately high rates of abuse.
Peaches, as the 35-year-old sex employee asked to be recognized, is amongst the more than a 3rd of South African women that will experience physical or sexual abuse in their lifetimes, oke.zone according to UN figures.
Slender and outspoken, she remained in a group of around 15 women who gathered 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 button that releases gatekeeper, bbarlock.com an evidence vault and a resource centre, the app will also 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 button that releases security officers, an an AI-driven chatbot
"This app, it's going to offer me that hope ... that my human rights ought to be thought about," Peaches informed AFP, asking not to give 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 authorities 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 provide two policemans "services for free" to evade arrest for prostitution.
"To me, GRIT isn't just a job-- it's a need," creator Leanora Tima informed AFP.
"I wished to create tech-driven options that empower survivors, guaranteeing they receive the urgent aid, legal guidance and psychological support they need without barriers," Tima said.
- 'Roadblocks to assist' -
Many cases of gender-based violence (GBV) go unreported due to the fact that victims face preconception or are turned away by authorities, said GRIT lead researcher 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 avid football gamer, she said her coach understood that "some bruises were not actually related to football".
It was only when the coach took the team to an anti-GBV event in Soweto, southwest of Johannesburg, that she discovered there were organisations that assist females in her scenario.
"It was actually heartfelt for me to find such a space," she said, choosing to provide just her very 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 takes place.
It has a map of neighboring clinics and and a digital vault where they can upload proof like images, videos and cops reports that will be secured on GRIT's servers.
The functions are based upon user feedback collected at workshops around the nation.
"It will save lives," said one woman at the same workshop attended by Peaches.
The app is free, funded by GRIT's donors consisting of 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 strategies or remain in backwoods with limited networks.
The chatbot Zuzi, to be released in the coming months, will be available on the app and likewise integrated into certain social platforms, technical lead Lebogang Sindani said.
Zuzi was initially planned to offer only useful details, like how to obtain a protection order.
But its collection has been expanded after feedback "that individuals are more interested in speaking with Zuzi about ... intimate things" like their health, Sindani said.
- 'All they understand' -
Even if there are more services than ever to assist ladies who are assaulted 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 an intricate history of colonisation and segregation, belief in male supremacy, an absence of great good example and financial stresses, said Craig Wilkinson, founder of Father A Country.
"No boy is born an abuser," said Wilkinson, whose nonprofit concentrates on reaching males. "There's something failing in the journey from boy to man."
"All they understand is violence," said Sandile Masiza, a coordinator of the GBV Response Team for Johannesburg's child welfare authority.
"We require more programmes that are not just going to be solely concentrated on victim support, however wrongdoer prevention," Masiza said.
"Society has normalised violence against females and ladies," UN Women GBV professional Jennifer Acio informed AFP.
"That's why we keep sharing details and attempting to empower ladies ... to know what is an abuse of their rights, to know when to report."
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AI App Offers a Lifeline For S.Africa's Abused Women
Adrienne Huff edited this page 2025-02-16 09:19:00 +00:00