Mobile App for the Elimination of Gender-Based Violence in Mauritius

Gender Based Violence affects 25% of women at least once in their life, whether from a partner or non-partner. 14% of women suffer without coming out. Domestic violence is estimated to cost around 0.5% of GDP in Mauritius, while 22% of women who absent themselves from work are due to violence.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius, The Hon Pravind Kumar JUGNAUTH, lead a High-Level Committee for the Strategic Plan to Eliminate Gender Based Violence in the Republic of Mauritius. This committee consisted of all Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Police Main Command & Control Centre (MCCC), Police Family Protection Unit (PFPU) and Ministry of Gender Equality & Family Welfare (MGEFW).

One of the initiatives is the implementation of a mobile app with a panic button. This would allow victims (new and existing holders of protection orders) to quickly and discretely report to Police when they are encountering gender-based violence – whether at home or work. Police would take immediate action to intervene based on the GPS location of the alert.

As a trusted technology provider to the Mauritian government, nVisionIT was tasked to design, develop and deploy the GBV mobile app to all citizens and residents of Mauritius.