Thursday, June 13 marked a pivotal moment in the fight against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Lagos State as the Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP), managers of Ireti Resource Centre, and Teqbahn Labs unveiled the pre-launch of the Encare Response App.
This innovative application, designed in collaboration with Teqbahn Labs, aims to revolutionize the response to SGBV cases in Alimosho, Lagos, particularly during emergencies.
The launch event, held at Egbe-Idimu Town Hall, was attended by community leaders, stakeholders, and representatives from WRAHP and Teqbahn Labs.
Bose Ironsi, Executive Director of WRAHP, emphasized the importance of the Encare Response App in empowering survivors to report cases of violence without fear of stigma and to access crucial support services.
“With the introduction of the Encare Response App, survivors now have the opportunity to report cases without fear or stigma and also access support services and justice at no cost,” Bose Ironsi stated during her address.
“WRAHP envisions a just society where the dignity of women, young people, and communities is respected. The Encare Response App is a testament to our commitment to providing integrated legal and psychosocial support to survivors of gender-based violence,” Ironsi emphasized.
The Encare Response App allows users, including survivors, to securely upload evidence of abuse and violations via web and mobile platforms, even with limited internet access.
This functionality is poised to address the significant issue of underreporting, which has plagued efforts to combat SGBV in Nigeria.
“We are creating the app for the community, so we brought the app in a way of pre-launching to see what they think of it. We’ve got their feedback. When we get back, we will implement them to make the app more friendly and easy to use,” explained Chidubem Ironsi, one of the architects behind Encare.
Vidya Sri, representing Teqbahn Labs, shared insights into the technological aspects of the app and its social impact. “We build technology in-house to tackle issues that disproportionately impact communities. Gender-Based Violence is a pervasive issue in Alimosho and across Nigeria, and our goal with Encare is to empower communities to report and end violence swiftly,” Vidya stated.
In a show of solidarity, community leaders expressed optimism about the app’s ability to empower residents in reporting and addressing incidents of violence promptly.
Adebayo Tokunmbo, CDC General Secretary, Ayobo/Ipaja Community Development Area (CDA), highlighted the practical benefits of Encare in enhancing community safety.
“We have been working with the Ireti Resource Centre for some years now. This new app, Encare, will make the job of reporting any case of violence easier. At any point, you will be able to provide photo evidence, location, and time of the incident for security agencies and Ireti Resource Centre to be aware of what is going on and take prompt action. This will ensure that the vices of Gender-Based Violence are nipped in the bud,” Tokunmbo emphasized.
Attendees at the pre-launch event were encouraged to spread awareness about the Encare Response App within their communities, emphasizing its user-friendly features and the importance of reporting incidents of violence without fear of stigma.
Moving forward, WRAHP and Teqbahn Labs will continue to refine the Encare Response App based on community feedback, with plans to officially launch the app in the coming months and ensure its widespread adoption across Lagos State.
The event underscored the collaborative efforts of WRAHP, Teqbahn Labs, and community stakeholders in leveraging technology to combat SGBV effectively.