Lesotho: Nokaneng app – going digital on GBV

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is widely accepted by both men and women in Lesotho. There is a lack of private and public discourse on (VAWG) to stimulate a change in norms and attitudes.  Gender Links Lesotho in partnership with the Ministry of Gender and Youth, Sports and Recreation, Vodacom Lesotho, Main Level consulting and Partnership for Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls and is funded by the German Development Agency (GIZ), developed a GBV smart phone application (Nokaneng App). The App is designed to teach women about their rights and services available for GBV.

The App will:

• Create awareness among women about what constitutes GBV.
• Inform women of their rights as well as locally available support services.
• Provide a safe virtual space for women to share stories and support each other.
• Provide women with emergency system to alert community members and peers in case of violence.

The Nokaneng App includes the following features:

• My situation

This section records different forms of gender-based violence, namely physical, emotional, sexual and economic violence. The information helps to get a better understanding of violence and its impact on the affected including survivors, perpetrators and the surrounding community.

• My services

This is about the services available to survivors of and people affected by gender-based violence. It helps women to find out how police, health care providers, courts, chiefs, government ministries and NGOs can assist survivors and help people that are affected by violence.

• My rights

Covers the different laws in Lesotho that address gender-based violence. It helps women to get better understanding of how gender-based violence is punishable by law and which laws protect people from different forms of gender-based violence.

• My advice

This section enables women to interact with the counsellors from Lapeng Care Center by posing questions. The counselor answers the question within 24 hours (Monday-Saturday). This is totally anonymous. The is a free service all Vodacom Lesotho subscribers.

In addition to these features the App has an instant rescue button. When pressed the button sends an alarm to alert people someone is in trouble. It can also be activated by shaking the phone several times if the app is activated. The alarm is meant to scare away perpetrators of violence. An additional service is emergency messaging. These messages are sent to six people chosen by a woman to be part of a safe circle. The service is used when you are at risk of violence.

During the development, the App was tested with over 100 women in four districts of Lesotho. Women appreciated that they can get information anonymously to break the silence as many have not been able to talk for the fear of stigma.

The Nokaneng App was successfully launched on the 30 January 2019 by the Minister of Gender and Youth, Sports and Recreation. It is now available to all Lesotho citizens. All Vodacom Lesotho subscribers use the app without any data charges.