A domestic abuse survivor has helped launch a groundbreaking new Female Safety App designed to help protect women in every aspect of their lives while giving employers a powerful new way to support the safety and wellbeing of their workforce.
Created by a female-led team in Nottingham, the free app combines real-time reporting, 24-hour human monitoring and emergency support, giving women immediate access to help whenever they feel vulnerable. The launch comes as the World Cup shines a renewed spotlight on violence against women and girls, although its creators say the need for practical safety solutions exists every day of the year.
The Female Safety App is the latest addition to an award-winning suite of safety technology already used across football, transport and universities, building on proven systems designed to keep people safe in real-world situations.
Project Director Alicia Redgrave, helped shape the app after experiencing domestic abuse herself and witnessing first-hand the devastating impact it had on her family.
She said: “The World Cup may be highlighting concerns around violence against women, but this is a problem that exists every day of the year. We wanted to create something practical that puts real support in a woman’s pocket whenever she needs it.”
“I lived in a household where domestic abuse was an everyday occurrence. I witnessed the erosion of confidence, power and self-worth that comes with living in that environment. I remember my mum wearing sunglasses in November to hide the bruises around her eyes. I also became a victim of that abuse.”
“We lived in survival mode.”
“It was the 1980s and reporting abuse often felt pointless because very little action was taken. Thankfully attitudes have changed and police take reports much more seriously, but many women still need a safe, discreet and simple way to seek help, record evidence and report what is happening.”
The Female Safety App has been designed to support women in all walks of life, whether they are experiencing domestic abuse, stalking, harassment, coercive control, sexual violence, drink spiking, grooming, suspicious behaviour or simply feel unsafe.
The app allows users to report incidents directly to a dedicated control room operating 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Trained operators can assess reports, monitor a user’s location in real time and, where necessary, contact the emergency services on their behalf.
When areas of concern are reported, the control room can send alerts to app users in that location. These may relate to hotspots such as transport hubs, bars or other public spaces. Additional features include secure storage for photographs and videos to help preserve evidence, live journey tracking that can be shared with trusted contacts, an SOS emergency alert, the ability to report suspicious behaviour and a realistic fake incoming phone call to help users safely leave uncomfortable or potentially dangerous situations. Designed with discretion in mind, the app is hidden behind an unassuming icon to help protect users’ privacy.
Alongside the free public app, the team has also developed an Enterprise version for businesses, organisations and public sector employers, enabling them to offer enhanced safety support to their employees.
The Enterprise platform allows organisations to manage the service internally while receiving ongoing support from the app’s dedicated central team, helping employers demonstrate a commitment to employee wellbeing both inside and outside the workplace.
Significant interest in the app has already been expressed by multinational organisations keen to protect their workforce. As well as providing a reporting tool, the app can also act as a deterrent by enabling safeguarding teams to respond quickly when concerns are raised.
The developers believe organisations have an increasingly important role to play in supporting women’s safety, recognising that safeguarding should not stop when an employee leaves work for the day.
Alicia said: “This is much more than a personal safety app. It is there for women facing abuse at home, travelling alone, walking back from the train station, going on a first date, experiencing stalking or harassment, concerned about grooming, or simply finding themselves in a situation where they don’t feel safe.”
“Every woman’s experience is different, which is why we wanted to create a solution that supports women through every stage of life and in as many situations as possible. We wanted to make sure no woman feels she has nowhere to turn.”
“We also believe employers have an important role to play in supporting women’s safety. More organisations are recognising that employee wellbeing extends beyond the workplace, and our Enterprise platform gives them a practical way to demonstrate that commitment while ensuring staff have immediate access to professional support whenever they need it.”
“This is technology created by women for women. We are incredibly proud to be developing it in Nottingham, and we genuinely believe it has the potential to save lives, build confidence and give women greater control over their own safety.”
The app also has wider safeguarding applications because of its anonymity and evidence-building capabilities, which the developers believe could help individuals safely document and report concerns about organised exploitation, including grooming.
The app developers said: “While this criminality has hit the headlines through some high-profile court proceedings, our fear is that such wrongdoing is more widespread and could result in individuals being seriously harmed if offenders are not brought to justice.”
“The sooner these criminal gangs are unmasked and brought to justice, the better. If we can play our part in helping victims safely identify, document and report unlawful activity to the authorities, then the app is doing its job.”
The Female Safety App builds on the success of the award-winning Football Safety App, fronted by former England striker Emile Heskey, which is already helping improve safety at football matches across the UK.
Research has consistently suggested reports of domestic abuse increase during major football tournaments. A study by Lancaster University found incidents rose by 38 per cent when England lost and by 26 per cent when they won during the 2002, 2006 and 2010 tournaments. International research highlighted by UNESCO and UN Women has also reported increases in violence against women linked to major sporting events.
Since announcing the launch, the Female Safety App has already received encouraging feedback from MPs, charities, employers and organisations working to tackle violence against women and girls.
The team believes the response reflects growing recognition that practical technology can complement existing support services and empower women to seek help more quickly, safely and confidently.
Developed by women, for women, the Female Safety App is available to download free on both the App Store and Google Play. More information about the app, its features and the Enterprise platform is available at www.femalesafetyapp.com.
