South Africans will unite under the theme #CountMeIn, which encourages members of society, especially men, to speak out against abuse and to work together to curb domestic violence.

During the yuletide in SA, there’s an increase in the number of domestic violence incidents, due in large part to the relationship between alcohol abuse and violence.

“Hashtag activism is a great way to raise awareness about issues in society, to shift public opinion, and to influence public policy. But we need to start thinking beyond hashtags if we want to make a real change in the world, especially when it comes to using technology to solve issues like domestic violence,” says Global Director of Promotions at Sage Foundation Joanne, Van der Walt.

That’s exactly what rAInbow, a world first launched in South Africa earlier this month, seeks to achieve.

Built by AI for good, rAInbow is an artificial intelligence (AI) powered smart companion that aims to democratize access to information and support for victims of domestic violence, using familiar technology, like Facebook Messenger.

Speaking to rAInbow is like speaking to a friend, says Kriti Sharma, leading global voice on ethical technology and founder of AI for Good. “Users can ask questions like, ‘My partner takes my money, what can I do?’, ‘He hits me, can you help me?’, and ‘My partner calls me abusive names, is this normal?’ rAInbow provides answers in friendly, simple language, and will guide victims in getting the help they need. To date, rAInbow has had over 50 000 active conversations.”

“Abuse can be an isolating experience. Women often don’t seek support, either because of the stigma associated with it, because they’re embarrassed, or they genuinely believe it’s their fault. Because of this, it largely goes unnoticed and unreported. rAInbow provides emotional support and information about victims’ legal rights and support options, in times when a human is not available or they’re not comfortable talking to another person.”

As a technology company that champions women’s rights and empowerment, Van der Walt says Sage Foundation was proud to fund the launch of this world-first solution in South Africa, which has one of the highest femicide rates in the world. “The more openly we talk about social issues like domestic violence, the faster we can break the stigma and get more people to seek help. For this reason, we’ve created our own hashtag, #IamrAInbow, to have those open, honest conversations, not only about abuse but about how we can use technology to bring about meaningful change.”

Sharma stresses that rAInbow does not intend to replace the human connection. The hope is that, in talking to rAInbow, victims will have taken the first step to get help.

South Africa is becoming increasingly digital. More people have access to smartphones and mobile data, which makes it easier to reach victims using tools like rAInbow and social media.

“With technology, we can democratise access to help, support and information for everyone – not just victims, but also their friends and family. These are the people who usually see the first signs of abuse but don’t know how to offer support, and don’t know if their advice is correct or useful. rAInbow can support them, too.”

Soul City held focus groups with victims of abuse and it emerged that, often, women just want someone to talk to, to know that they’re not alone and that what they’re going through is not okay. Abuse has no boundaries.

It affects everyone, from women at the height of their corporate careers, to those from the poorest backgrounds, across all race groups and social classes.

Yet, in every case, there are similarities, and when we start talking openly about these and raising awareness, women start to realize it’s not normal.

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