Chances are that you or someone you know has experienced domestic violence or abuse. How might it feel if there was no way to ask for help when you need it the most? Toranj is a groundbreaking mobile app that allows Iranian women who are at risk of domestic violence or date rape to discreetly ask for immediate help.
In Iran, as in many parts of the world, domestic violence and other acts of abuse against women are too common. A 2003 study found 66% of married women in Iran have been subjected to some kind of violence.1 And 50% of Iranian women silently experience domestic abuse; yet fewer than 35% report to law enforcement.2
As a product of our IranCubator program, Toranj gives potential victims the power and tools to ensure their safety. Here’s how it works:
A user downloads Toranj and sets up a series of text messages that can be sent to the police or selected contacts when she feels unsafe. There are two messages already drafted: “Call the police” and “get here fast.” A user can set up any message and press a “HELP” button on the app to send it out. The user can share her GPS location with a push of a button.
Additionally, Toranj offers users with access to long term help. The app’s researchers have compiled a database of counselors, therapists, and family attorneys who offer services to victims of domestic violence free of charge.
The third section of Toranj offers legal advice, documents and sample briefings to women who are in abusive marriages and want to find the best way to navigate Iran’s challenging legal system.
Toranj also offers educational material on understanding domestic violence and self-assessments on whether the app user’s partnership is within a healthy realm.
Toranj has been through extensive security testing and doesn’t collect personal data.
We hope that Toranj users never need to call for help. But the reality is that many women experience abuse and are at risk of violence. If you have any family or friends in Iran which you think might be at risk of violence, whether with their partners or potential dates, let them know. Toranj can be just the right tool for them.
1: ایرنا – ماجرای خمیر شدن 32 جلد کتاب در معاونت زنان دولت نهم و دهم به روایت مدیرکل سابق امور اجتماعی وزارت کشور (http://www7.irna.ir/fa/News/81448501/) 2: ۵۰ درصد زنان ایرانی خشونت را تحمل میکنند (http://bit.ly/2fEM23V)