Zanele Sokatsha, centre, lead research for annunciogratis.net the GRIT task

She states she was broken by police. Now she's brainstorming an AI-integrated app with a panic button that notifies personal security to assist other females caught in South Africa's unfortunately high rates of abuse.

Peaches, as the 35-year-old sex employee asked to be recognized, is among the more than a 3rd of South African females that will experience physical or sexual assault in their life times, according to UN figures.

Slender and outspoken, she remained in a group of around 15 women who gathered late January to workshop the current update of the app developed by the not-for-profit GRIT (Gender Rights In Tech).

Equipped with an emergency situation button that releases gatekeeper, an evidence vault and a resource centre, the app will likewise include an AI-driven chatbot called Zuzi that will be showcased at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris this month.

The app has an emergency button that deploys security officers, an an AI-driven chatbot

"This app, it's going to offer me that hope ... that my human rights must be thought about," Peaches told AFP, asking not to offer her genuine name to secure her safety.

There were more than 53,000 sexual offences reported in South Africa in 2023-24, consisting of more than 42,500 rapes, according to cops figures.

That same year, 5,578 ladies were murdered, a 34 percent increase from the previous year.

In Peaches' case, she said she was required to give 2 policemans "services totally free" to evade arrest for prostitution.

"To me, GRIT isn't just a project-- it's a requirement," founder Leanora Tima informed AFP.

"I wished to produce tech-driven options that empower survivors, ensuring they get the immediate aid, legal assistance and psychological support they require without barriers," Tima said.

- 'Roadblocks to help' -

Many cases of gender-based violence (GBV) go unreported due to the fact that victims deal with stigma or are turned away by authorities, said GRIT lead researcher Zanele Sokatsha.

'There's a lot of obstructions still in getting gain access to and aid,' Sokatsha says

"There's a lot of obstructions still in getting gain access to and aid," she said.

Thato, a woman in her 30s, said she sustained years of physical abuse by her stepfather before she discovered aid was available.

A passionate football player, she said her coach realised that "some bruises were not really associated to football".

It was only when the coach took the team to an anti-GBV occasion in Soweto, southwest of Johannesburg, that she discovered there were organisations that help females in her scenario.

"It was actually heartfelt for me to find such a space," she said, choosing to provide just her first name.

GRIT's app aims to make it much easier for females to gain access to resources from their homes, where much of the abuse happens.

It has a map of close-by clinics and shelters and wiki.die-karte-bitte.de a digital vault where they can publish proof like pictures, videos and police reports that will be secured on GRIT's servers.

The functions are based on user feedback collected at workshops around the country.

"It will save lives," said one female at the exact same workshop attended by Peaches.

The app is complimentary, funded by GRIT's donors consisting of the Gates Foundation and Expertise France. It already has 12,000 users.

Once downloaded, it can work without information, making it available to those who can not pay for phone strategies or remain in rural areas with minimal networks.

The chatbot Zuzi, to be launched in the coming months, will be available on the app and also integrated into certain social platforms, technical lead Lebogang Sindani said.

Zuzi was at first meant to offer only practical details, like how to obtain a security order.

But its collection has been expanded after feedback "that individuals are more interested in talking to Zuzi about ... intimate things" like their health, Sindani said.

- 'All they know' -

Even if there are more services than ever to help ladies who are assaulted and strong public condemnation of cases that make it to the media, South Africa's abuse rates remain stubbornly high.

It is "a best storm" of an intricate history of colonisation and partition, belief in male dominance, a lack of models and financial stresses, said Craig Wilkinson, creator of Father A Nation.

"No kid is born an abuser," said Wilkinson, whose not-for-profit concentrates on reaching men. "There's something failing in the journey from kid to man."

"All they understand is violence," said Sandile Masiza, a planner of the GBV Response Team for Johannesburg's kid well-being authority.

"We need more programs that are not simply going to be entirely focused on victim support, however perpetrator avoidance," Masiza said.

"Society has actually normalised violence against females and girls," UN Women GBV professional Jennifer Acio informed AFP.

"That's why we keep sharing details and trying to empower ladies ... to know what is an abuse of their rights, to understand when to report."