New App Called EVO
A new safety planning App called EVO will connect women living with intimate partner violence to helpful services.
It was launched by the Public Legal Education and information Service of New Brunswick, and developed in partnership with the New Brunswick Department of Public Safety, Victim Services, and the New Brunswick Community College (NBCC),
Executive Director Deborah Doherty says it helps women identify with the 16 risk factors that may signal danger in a relationship,”So many women stay in a relationship for so many reasons and we have to support them. Yes, they feel that staying may make them feel safer, but here’s a little bit of a reality check. There are services and people to talk to.”
The App offers a New Brunswick directory of services and supports, and allows the woman to create a personalized list of contacts. It also comes with a number of security features to reduce a woman’s risk of being discovered by her partner when she is using it.
“The really unique thing about this app, is it has a google map that is customized to each woman, so that if she looks at the 16 factors that can make her feel unsafe, she can look on the app and search for services, and then choose the services that deal with those specific areas. For example, she may feel that she can’t get out of this situation until she finds a job, so she may look for ways to support her education. It is a broad range of services, not just traditional transition housing or outreach. She can do it on her device and make her own specialized contact list, then when she has the right time and privacy, she can contact the service to ask more about how they can help her and make an appointment to see them,” Doherty says.
EVO is especially helpful for women in rural areas and small towns, “Research has shown that many women in those areas are reluctant to get services and assistance or they don’t even know it exists because they are isolated from the urban centres,” Doherty says.
The name “EVO” refers to the fact that each step a woman takes to staying safer is part of her “EVOlution” to a violence-free life. The app helps to bridge the isolation and fear of engaging in help-seeking behaviour by helping women to connect directly to helpful services and make a personal safety plan.
The App can be downloaded on both android and apple products.
