Why Do We Need redPhone?
In the U.S
YouGov RealTime research found that women are more likely than men to feel unsafe doing everyday activities. Women are also more likely to take precautions to avoid sexual assault. Of the women who said that they take extra precautions, the most common ways are: maintaining awareness of one's surroundings (73% of women who take precautions), having a phone prepared (66%), and informing others about their location and schedule (64%).
I designed redPhone as an app because most women have a phone prepared when they feel unsafe. Having redPhone could be another way to take precautions. Since women let others know where they are, users can easily access the messaging app using one of redPhone's features.
​
Source: YouGov
A survey conducted by Farah and Farah shows that women are more likely than men to rely on technology to keep them safe.
redPhone is ideal because women already call someone to feel safer. redPhone gets rid of the problems that may arise from calling someone like not knowing if they'll answer or not wanting to bother someone. The study reveals that after calling someone when walking alone, 34.8% feel much safer. redPhone will give women a sense of being safer because people won't bother them if they think that she is on the phone will someone.
Source: FarahandFarah.com
Unsafe and Harassed in Public Spaces: A National Street Harassment Report found that street harassment is a widespread problem in the U.S especially for women, people of lower-income, people of color, and people in the
LGBTQ+. They defined street harassment as verbal and physically aggressive harassment. They found that Hispanic and Black respondents were more likely than White respondents to say that they experience street harassment. People who identified as LGBTQ+ were more likely than people who identified as heterosexual to experience street harassment.
This study shows how many people, besides women, are vulnerable to harassment. redPhone could help a widespread of people because street harassment is a prevalent problem.
Source: Unsafe and Harassed in Public Spaces: A National Street Harrassment Report by Stop Street Harrassment
Abroad
The Enquete Nationale sur les Violences Envers les Femmes en France (Enveff) found that, in France, women feel substantially more unsafe going out during the night than during the daytime. Some women avoid going to places or neighborhoods where there are few people. The fear of violence or assault can sometimes hinder women from going out alone.
The purpose of redPhone is to diminish women's fears so that they feel safer moving around. Women shouldn't have to confine themselves to certain places because this restricts their mobility and freedom.
​
​
​
Source: Enquete Nationale Sur Les Violences Envers les Femmes en France
The Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN) shows that 32% of women and 19% of men respondents had experienced at least one form of harassment in the previous 12 months. More women than men experienced catcalls, unwanted sexual comments, and whistles. This study which was conducted in Great Britain in June 2021 shows that street harassment towards women is prevalent in a lot of today's societies. People's fear of street harassment is not only a U.S problem.
Source: Office for National Statistics- Opinions and Lifestyle Survey