Women Safety Smart Phone Application launched in Punjab

Lahore:  The Punjab government has launched “Women Safety Smart Phone Application”  as part of its efforts to prevent and combat harassment of women.

The App was was launched by the Chief Minister's Special Monitoring Unit in collaboration with the Punjab Safe Cities Authority and the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women in Lahore, today.

The Chief Guest of the launch ceremony was Ms. Zakia Shah Nawaz, the Minister Population Welfare who formally launched the App. The launch was attended by the Senior Member, Special Monitoring Unit-Mr. Salman Sufi, the Managing Director Punjab Safe Cities Authority-Mr. Ali Amer, the Ombudsperson Punjab-Ms. Farkhanda Wasim Afzal, Chairperson Punjab Commission on the Status of Women-Ms. Fauzia Viqar and Mr. Raghib Naeemi.

The Minister Population Welfare congratulated SMU, PSCA and PCSW for working together to eliminate harassment of women through the launch of a user-friendly Smart Phone App.

Head-Special Monitoring Unit (Law & Order), Mr. Salman Sufi said: "The Chief Minister has prioritized Women's Safety by directing innovative approaches to eliminate harassment of women."

Chairperson Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW), Ms. Fauzia Viqar lauded the Government of Punjab, and specifically the Punjab Safe Cities Authority, for creating an Application that connects all law enforcement agencies and help lines.

Ms. Viqar added that harassment of any form at any place will no longer be taken lightly, and will immediately prompt law enforcement agencies to respond. PSCA Chief Operating Officer Mr. Amer Ali, explained how the App will operate and talked about the necessary steps taken by the Punjab Police to create safer spaces for women.

Users of the App will notify the Police Integrated Command, Control and Communication (PPIC3) officials regarding the kind of harassment they are subjected to along with their exact geographic location.

The law enforcement agencies will then dispatch a team of first responders to immediately tackle the situation. The Application also allows women and girls to call PCSW’s helpline (1043) to report emergencies, instances of harassment at public places, and get information regarding legal and other remedies.

It integrates SMU's Women-on-Wheels initiative by allowing WoW graduates to report instances of harassment and even allows women to mark unsafe spaces. It further allows women to rank/audit places and upload pictures to mark the safest routes for getting to a particular place.

The guests appreciated the joint efforts of the Punjab Safe Cities Authority, Chief Minister's Special Monitoring Unit and Punjab Commission on the Status of Women for taking this historic step. This is the first time such diverse and pertinent government bodies have collaborated to inaugurate an initiative intrinsic to women's safety and security.