Bright Sky SA – Launch

Vodacom launches a ground-breaking free app to fight the scourge of Gender Based Violence in South Africa

The Vodacom Foundation is announcing the launch of a cutting-edge, free to download application designed to aid in the fight against Gender Base Violence (GBV). As South Africans retreated inside their homes due to the lockdown measures introduced by government to curb the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year, reports showed an alarming increase in the number of GBV cases. President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared this scourge of violence as the ‘second pandemic’.

The launch of the Bright Sky app coincides with the United Nations 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until Human Rights Day on 10 December. This year’s campaign will take place under UN’s 2020 global theme: “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!”

Bright Sky SA allows users to assess whether they or someone they know is in an abusive relationship by completing a risk assessment questionnaire in a bid to keep them safe. Bright Sky’s features include a short questionnaire to help users identify different forms of abuse and the types of support available. It gives the user information about GBV, the different forms of GBV, and various case studies. Using geolocation, the app provides information on support services available in South Africa, including a directory of police stations, hospitals and NGOs across the country. By educating people about the forms of domestic abuse, and providing advice on what to do, Bright Sky serves as a resource for friends and family with loved ones suffering from such abuse, ensuring that they are better empowered to help. The app does not share anyone’s personal details and ensures the complete privacy of its users.