Developing technology for safer communities.

One in three women globally have faced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime+. Recent social measures and technological advances have failed to keep us safe. We believe that the safety of women is an indicator of the safety of any community as a whole. The Anu and Naveen Jain Women’s Safety XPRIZE calls for a breakthrough solution that addresses the safety of our communities by addressing the safety of women first.

+World Health Organization Report on Global and Regional Estimates of Violence Against Women, 2013.

The Anu and Naveen Jain Women’s Safety XPRIZE is a 20-month competition beginning on October 24, 2016 and ending in June 2018.

Once you have expressed an interest in competing and completed an online profile, the teams can utilize a messaging platform through the registration portal. There, teams can interact and collaborate with each other and be part of this unique competition.

Almost four billion people across the globe lack access to centralized emergency response systems. Many nations do not have a universal emergency access number (like 9-1-1 in the United States) that victims can call to report a crime. Despite the universal need for women’s safety, basic emergency reporting and response networks, do not exist in much of the world. The winning solution coming out of this competition will create a future where communities empowered by technology will ensure safety of each member.

There are four ways you can get involved:

1) Form or be part of a team.

2) Sign up to follow the competition and monitor the progress of the teams on email or social media.

3) Spread the word about the competition so people who are interested have an opportunity to compete and participate.

4) Become a resource to teams if you have something that would be helpful for them on their Prize journey and sign up as a mentor.

Only a few technology solutions have encouraged the participation of communities in safety, additionally, high costs have meant that these solutions have remained inaccessible to many. We imagine a future where communities will be empowered by a solution which will guarantee the safety of each member, shifting the onus of safety from the individual to society at large, making us all responsible for a safer world.

The Women’s Safety XPRIZE is divided into several rounds of competition:

1) Qualification Round: Detailed Design Evaluation

   A) Round 2A: Deployment-Ready Prototype Testing with a physical prototype of the device

   B) Round 2B: Usability testing of proposed solutions

Teams will have five months to develop a detailed, complete product design that addresses the Prize Statement. Twenty-five qualifying teams will be given an additional six months to create a deployment-ready prototype. Based on physical testing of the deployment-ready prototype, five teams will then be selected for a usability field test. One Grand Prize Winner will be announced in June 2018.

* Location of Testing to be disclosed later