An app that allows women in Gaza to report domestic violence without revealing their identities
A mobile application in the Palestinian Gaza Strip is allowing an increasing number of women victims of domestic violence to seek help while avoiding the stigma and reprisals that prevent many from going directly to the authorities.
The app allows women to report violence without revealing their identities.
The app called "Our Spaces" was designed by Palestinian computer engineer Alaa Huttut, who saw the need for a way to seek advice safely in a society where family pressures hide much domestic violence from view.
"Privacy was very important because fear would be a major reason because the woman did not communicate with centers and did not go out," Alaa Huhtat told Reuters.
The application allows women to register for the service without mentioning their names or leaving a trace of their communication with care centers on their own phones.
About that, Alaa says, "If someone grabbed her phone, he wouldn't know that she had communicated."
In 2019, the Palestinian Statistics Office said that 41% of women in Gaza have experienced domestic violence, and women's groups say the problem has been exacerbated during closures due to the Corona pandemic, as is the case in many other countries.
Kholoud Al-Sawalmeh, project manager at the Social Media Center, says that 355 women have downloaded the app and 160 have contacted help centers that provide psychological and legal support.
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