In this day and age, it is not unusual for women to feel unsafe when they go out alone. But it shouldn't be that way, and it certainly doesn't have to be. Fortunately, there are several apps and devices available that can give women piece of mind.
The world can be a shocking place and with hundreds of thousands of violent crimes committed against women each year, its not wonder women don't like venturing out on their own.
Back in the day, these apps and devices just didn't exist, though there are probably moments you can look back on in your life which may make you wish they had existed. But now that they do, you should definitely take advantage of them, and make yourself feel that bit safer and less alone.
1. bSafe
This app is available for iPhone or Android and it will let you share your location, send out an SOS alarm and will even enable you to receive a fake phone call so get can get out of an uncomfortable situation.
Other features include a "Guardian Alert button" which will immediately notify your friends and family when you need help. It will tell them exactly where you are using GPS and also what's happening with a video. Hell, there's even a siren which will set off to scare off any unwanted company.
2. Wearsafe
Wearsafe is a small and portable device that you can press whenever you think you are getting into trouble. It connects to your phone to alert friends and family, sends them audio from the situation and spins up a live chat room where friends and family can coordinate a response or call 911. The best thing about this device is that it allows you to keep your phone out of sight.
If your walking alone and at any point feel unsafe, you press and hold the screen and then when you let go of it, it triggers an alert and within seconds, agents call to verify your safety and are automatically informed of your exact location.
There is even a crowd sourcing functionality within the app so that you can let other users know of suspicious activity in your neighbourhood.
4. StaySafe
StaySafe is an app that was originally developed to provide personal protection for lone workers around the world. But recently it people are using it to automatically contact their friends and family when they don't check in at certain time.
This app for iPhone or Android is designed for students. You can alert friends, campus police, local 911 or all three with just two taps. The alerts can either be sent out by phone, text email or Facebook.
This is a fantastic app for your college kids and was the winner of the White House Apps Against Abuse technology challenge.
So there you go, if you know of any women that walk alone from work, walk home alone from a night out etc then share this information with them. Hopefully they will never need these apps but, as they say, its better to be safe than sorry.