Many people feel scared to walk or run alone
Physical attacks against women are unfortunately widespread. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. Women who have previously experienced physical attacks or harassment in public spaces may develop heightened levels of fear and anxiety when navigating similar environments in the future, affecting their sense of safety and well-being.
Additionally, many physical attacks against women go unreported. According to UN Women, only about 40% of women who experience violence seek help of any sort. Women may fear retaliation or victim blaming if they report incidents, leading to underreporting of such crimes and a lack of accountability for perpetrators.
Epowar all started when Epowar founder, E-J Roodt was a 21-year-old business student at the University of Bath. Inspiration for the app came to E-J whilst she was jogging in a poorly lit park, worrying about the risk of an attack. “It’s a problem that needs to be solved and one I strongly identify with as a woman. I often feel scared walking or running alone, and I’ve always wished I could do something about it. When I heard that Apple Watches could detect heart attacks, something just clicked. It was incredibly exciting,” she explains.
Epowar’s Solution: Wearable Technology to Make Women Feel Safer
Epowar is a UK-based start-up using wearable technology to make women feel safer. They recently launched the first safety app that detects if the user is physically attacked, alerting their chosen contacts, sharing live location data and storing valuable evidence in the cloud.
Epowar+ offers automatic attack detection as its flagship feature, utilizing AI technology integrated with Apple Watch. Users grant Epowar permission to access health data from their wearable, allowing the app to monitor heart rate and motion for signs of distress. The AI has been extensively trained with diverse data over three years, improving accuracy in distinguishing genuine attacks from false alarms.
If an attack is detected, friends are alerted. The app records evidence such as audio, vital signs, and location data in the cloud. Additionally, a manual SOS button is available for emergencies, ensuring users can still seek help even without an Apple Watch. Plans for expanding compatibility to Android devices and other wearables are in progress.
How Femovate Helps
Epowar was awarded sponsorship through Guidea’s Femovate program for ‘23-’24.
As part of the Femovate sponsorship, the digital health experts at Guidea will work with Epowar founders on the user experience design of this innovative safety solution.
For more information about Epowar, visit https://epowar.com/ and follow them on LinkedIn or Instagram
For more information on Femovate visit www.femovate.com and follow us on LinkedIn
For interviews please contact Theresa Neil
