Club of Agen, France
According to the UN, the location “the most dangerous for women” is home, it is a place of violence that requires a quick and discreet response[1]. In France, a woman dies every three days at the hands of her companion. Therefore, it was obvious for the Soroptimists to act, and the members of the Club of Agen mobilized.
The members have heard of the free application called App-Elles and the possibility of using connected bracelets via this application which allows alerting in the event of danger. By activating the bracelet, a woman who is subjected to violence turns on the mobile’s microphone and GPS via the App-Elles application. The three trusted people (friends, family) designated by the wearer of the bracelet will hear in real-time what is happening and will know where it is happening. The sounds can be listened to for fifteen days (usable with the authorities and the justice) and it works abroad. Soroptimists worked with the Delegate for Women’s Rights and Equality; they provided them with a subvention of 4000 euros and took charge of handing over the 241 connected bracelets to associations and shelters for women victims of violence.
To carry out this action, the Club of Agen organized a Christmas party to collect funds to finance the purchase of connected bracelets: meals, concerts, raffles, and pastry sales. Then in partnership with the Delegate for Women’s Rights, the Soroptimists met and sensitized 500 students with education and prevention sessions on violence against women.
With this action, the Soroptimists targeted a large audience with the ambition that other Soroptimist clubs could assimilate this action in order to ensure the protection, information, and necessary assistance to “save lives”. The project received wide media coverage at a regional level.
[1] https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2018/11/25/son-domicile-est-lendroit-le-plus-dangereux-pour-une-femme_a_23600501/