A crisis response centre for women in the country is set to expand to the entire Middle East by launching a mobile app.
The application will be introduced in summer next year by the Women’s Crisis Care International (WCCI), the only centre in the region offering support to women victims of domestic violence.
The app, developed along with SayG, a technology solutions provider in Bahrain, won the most innovative application contest at the fifth Manama Entrepreneurship Week held last month.
“This is the first-of-its-kind application in the region and it is a platform through which women who need help can reach us,” WCCI founder Mary-Justine Todd told the GDN.
“With this app in place, we don’t need an office space; all we need is a set of trained crisis care advocates who can operate 24x7.”
The new device is expected to help streamline WCCI activities and expand its service to women across the region.
“Our advocates now have to physically go and pick up the hotline phones; with this app they will not have to do this.
“They can access the calls, case reports and other documentation through the interface,” added Ms Todd.
Ms Todd
WCCI was founded in Bahrain in 2015 and began full-scale operations in January 2016, operating the first and only victims crisis advocacy programme in the Gulf, providing emotional and informational support for women victims who have experienced domestic and sexual violence.
“We have had more than 1,000 cases in the last 12 months and have had two training sessions for volunteers in a year and two 24x7 helplines in Arabic and English have been busy.
“We were engaged in more events as well and now we are preparing to launch the WCCI mobile app.
“We are planning to launch the app summer next year, which will take us to a much higher level.
“The app will help WCCI to better support women not just in Bahrain, but across the region.”
The GDN reported last month that WCCI statistics revealed that domestic violence against young women topped the list of cases of abuse against females in Bahrain.
Cases of physical violence along with emotional and financial abuse, mainly among couples and intimate partners, were higher in number, while cases of sexual abuse, forced marriages and human trafficking were also registered.
“The goal of the app is to help WCCI and the services it offers to the community,” said SayG founder and chief executive Dr Shaikha Eshaa Mohammed Al Khalifa.
“It will be an interface used by the WCCI volunteers and those who seek support from the WCCI.
“This is the first time we are developing such an app, which is not limited to connecting people, but it also links to other apps.
“For example, women who reach out to a WCCI volunteer for support might need transportation, so the app will be able to link the person to another app that can help her with this.
“So it’s more of ease of bridging information and amenities, thus building an enhanced support system for the support seekers.”
Dr Shaikha Eshaa worked with Bahrain University for 18 years before setting up her company.
She was also the e-Learning and technology adviser to the university president for 14 years.
“We are hoping to launch the app next summer.”
raji@gdn.com.bh
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