By Stanley Onyekwere
A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), the Voice of the Girl Child and Vulnerable People’s Foundation (VGCVPF), has launched an initiative aimed at boosting quest for justice for victims of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV).
The NGO developed an Guardup’ mobile internet application, to help generate and keep track of nefarious acts.
It explained that the innovation was conceived and developed to mitigate SGBV especially empowering the victims to access with proven evidence captured on the app, as well as boost tackling some of the insecurity challenges in the society.
Speaking at the launch of the app recently, in Abuja, Executive Director of the Foundation, Aisha Bello, said the app, which is available for use on Android enabled phones, was designed to avail information as evidence and engage with critical stakeholders such as Government agencies and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), security agencies amongst others.
Bello said with the app, it is easy to monitor activities and prevent criminalities, so as to serve as a deterrence to criminal minded people, thereby help to reduce the level of crime in the society.
She said: “The reason we decided to bring this innovation is that for years we have been advocating for victims of SGBV through a lot of sensitisation and women empowerment; thinking that was the solution, but we kept seeing that the rate keeps increasing.
“We realised that when we take SGBV cases to courts they keep asking for evidence, that’s what makes is to lose the cases. And if the perpetrator is not punished, definitely, there would be more people involved in that particular crime.
“So if it is evidence that is required, lets come up with what can help people get the evidence ready, so as to have evidence for whatever that is done to them”.
According to her: “This is just the launching, we will definitely move down to the grass root with the app. From the available statistics, we have more of android phone users than the IOS, but very soon they will also have theirs.
“On our app, you have to create your safety group; that is the people that you are comfortable to share your information with, so as not to have regrets, because once you share it, the people will see immediately.
“Also, we have link with the security agencies, where people can easily dial and send information for necessary action, either they are in distress or intend to share information about what they have seen.
“People can use this app to monitor other activities like electioneering process. It is not only going to be on the phone as it could be accessed on the web. So it is just as
“The security agencies need us as citizens to help them in tackling the menace and other security challenges.
“We are ambassadors. We can the phones to capture evidence even for others, who may not have Android enabled phones. So we are not going to keep quiet”.
