How many times have we been walking in the evening and felt the urge to turn back to check that there is no one following us? This is a sad reality shared by women all over the world and requires action to ensure that going out with friends can end in total safety. That is why the city of Verona is aiming at a new taxi service, called Taxi Rosa (Pink Taxi), to help make women feel safe even at night. A few days ago, a meeting was organised between top security officials for the city of Verona. For the women and young girls of Verona, it would represent an opportunity to reach their destination without worries, alone, or rather with the help of an ally: ‘Pink Taxi’, a practice already in use in some Italian cities and abroad.
Other services for women’s safety that you may not know about
Remember that in order to make women feel safer on their outings, there is a totally free service called DonneXStrada, which uses private video calling via Instagram so that they are not left alone on the road. It often happens that we hold the phone with a call ready to someone we know who could answer us in an emergency: with this service it is possible to request assistance 24 hours a day by sending a message, just before the connection is needed, through the Instagram channel @violawalkhome, in Italy or abroad.
There is also an app called VIOLA, which is simple to use so all you have to do is download it, open it and click on the blue button in the centre of the screen to initiate the call with one of the selected volunteers or from your own list. Calls are recorded to provide irrefutable proof in the event of a complaint. Equipped with an SOS system, pressing the red button always on the screen will alert the individual’s police and emergency contacts. The application is also equipped with geolocalisation whereby the route can be entered directly on the map, which will advise on the safest route. In addition, the map is able to show the nearest so-called Purple Points (Punti Viola), i.e. associations, but also commercial establishments such as bars or sports facilities that offer shelter to those in danger.
