Sheltered in Safe Hands - A Study on the Usage and Effectiveness of ‘Kavalan’ SOS App among Women in Tamil Nadu

Dr.N. Tamilselvi, Et. al.

doi:10.17762/turcomat.v12i5.1751

Abstract

As we progress towards digital era, using smart phones to ensure safety of citizens, especially women is seen as a great relief. After the gory crime of Delhi gang rape in 2012, the government has introduced various safety measures to protect women, one of which is the development of safety apps. Though there are many safety apps for women, this study focuses on ‘Kavalan’ app, which was launched in 2018 by Tamil Nadu police to ensure women safety. This mobile application seems to have a wide reach as soon it was launched and efforts have been taken by the police department to make sure that citizens are aware of the mobile app. The present study focuses on few questions like the reach of the app in rural areas, and women who do not know to use technology and tries to find the answer through survey and in-depth interviews.

Highlights

IntroductionOn the contrary the number of crimes against women keeps increasing every year
Women are worshipped as goddesses by people in India since ancient times
Women are exposed to sexual violence even at the age of 80 and even children are not spared to the gory crime of rape

Summary

Introduction

On the contrary the number of crimes against women keeps increasing every year. Women are exposed to sexual violence even at the age of 80 and even children are not spared to the gory crime of rape. Women are seen working in all areas equal to men and that includes even working late hours at night. In such a scenario, safety of women is a big question, considering the increasing number of crimes that happen against women. There are different ways in which safety of women is still a threat, which include eve teasing, sexual harassment, rape and domestic violence. Considering the trauma that a sexual violence can bring in the mind of a woman and with the slow pace of Indian judiciary system, it is often agreed that prevention is better than cure

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