MehfoozAurat: Transforming Smart Phones into Women Safety Devices Against Harassment

In Pakistan, workingwomen often become victims of harassment during traveling which exacerbates uncertainty and hesitance among other workingwomen regarding their security. This paper discusses the android application, MehfoozAurat (safe woman), which we developed to support the lower socio-economic income bracket of working women who use public transport. The key features include safe routes, emergency alerts and audio recording with a unique self-defense section. The app has text based output in the national language, Urdu, which makes it accessible to the majority who are unfamiliar with the English language. Our usability tests reveal that the system is perceived to be useful and easy to learn; with brief learning, even the uneducated workingwomen were able to benefit from the application.