Girls: Don’t leave your house without your ‘Guardian Angel’

See how this pendant can send SOS message or trigger a call when faced with threat.

The recent passing of Singapore’s anti-harassment law to augment existing legislation and US President Barrack Obama establishing the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault proved that sexual assault is high on the agenda of governments worldwide. This is not surprising as a US National Study reveals that nearly 1 in 5 women or approximately 22 million have been raped in their lifetime. 80% were raped before they turned 25 and more than 90% knew their perpetrators — either a friend, partner, ex-partner, acquaintance or even relatives.

To help women combat harassment and easily alert emergency contacts when they face threats to their personal safety, JWT Singapore and Association of Singapore-based advocacy organisation for gender equality Women for Action and Research (AWARE) joined together to create The Guardian Angel, billed as an accessory with a purpose.

The Guardian Angel is a personal safety accessory line for women and girl, and help them live free without fear of harassment or violence. It is designed in the shape of a halo - simple but elegant innovation which can be worn as a necklace or a bracelet, so that it’s always accessible.

“AWARE believes in the rights of women to participate in social and public spaces free from harassment and violence especially in a workplace or social scenario, there can be social penalties for confronting harassers directly. The Guardian Angel can help to defuse some harassment situations. The emergency contact function also empowers women to more easily seek help in cases of serious threat.” says Corinna Lim, AWARE’s executive director.

How it works?

The Guardian Angel jewellery works with its own unique App. Simple set up instructions come packaged with your Guardian Angel jewellery.

By clicking once on their Guardian Angel pendant, a woman can trigger a call to her own phone during a tense moment, offering her an excuse to break away from a harasser in a shared space such as an office or a bar. In cases of threat to her personal safety, she can hold the button for three seconds to send an SOS text message to a designated number, such as her parents or a friend, to notify them she is in danger. The text message provides coordinates and a Google Map link to her location.

The Guardian Angel was designed in Singapore but it can be used anywhere in the world. The Guardian Angel’s simple text message functionality also makes it accessible to anyone, regardless of what kind of phone their designated contacts have. It doesn’t require the recipient to download an app, or own a smartphone.

“With today’s technology, nothing is impossible unless you try. As a woman, I felt we had to give our best to not just raise awareness about the issue but to try to stop it,” said Valerie Cheng, Chief Creative Officer of JWT Singapore.

The Guardian Angel is sold online by Singaporean retailer My Room Retail at www.the-guardianangel.com. Ten percent of each sale of the Guardian Angel will go to AWARE.

The video link is here.

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