‘I hope we will be the last generation to fear sexual intimidation’

“Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve often felt unsafe on the street, especially when cycling home alone or going out,” says Yeline, who just finished her Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, with a minor in Gender Studies, and is about to start a Master’s in Social Challenges, Policies and  Interventions. She lives at Utrecht Science Park, one of the areas in Utrecht where women feel the most unsafe, according to the newspaper AD.

One day, a light bulb went off in her head as she was taking a first aid course. She was told about the 112 app, which allows users to quickly contact emergency services by pressing a button. Yeline often calls one of her friends or family members when she feels unsafe, but sometimes it takes a long time for someone to pick up. She then envisioned an app where people who feel unsafe can quickly get someone from their inner circle on the line, in addition to notifying the authorities in the event of an emergency. She then decided to found her own start-up to bring the idea to life.

One of Yeline’s first steps when setting up her business was conducting street interviews and a survey, which revealed that many women rely on the same methods she uses herself: calling, texting, and sharing live location. “That shows how great the need is for a quicker and more reliable solution.”

How the ASAP app works. Comic by Jasmijn Vere Boer, courtesy of Yeline Hoogmans.

Prototype
Yeline has followed a validation program for her start-up at Utrecht Inc. incubator and receives coaching from UU Playground. The prototype will be built by two software engineers she met during her time there. “It’s a simple version, just to test if it works.”

The prototype includes an SOS button that sends an emergency alert to all contacts added by the user, asking them to call her immediately. “As soon as the first call comes through, the other people added to the user’s inner circle are notified so that the user won’t be overwhelmed with multiple calls,” explains Yeline. The user’s inner circle also needs to download the app. “The crucial thing about this app is that people instantly know it’s serious — unlike a WhatsApp message, which they might ignore for a while.”

Yeline underscores the versatility of her app idea. “You can also use it if someone is acting creepy on the bus or if you’re having an uncomfortable Tinder date. First dates can feel intimidating, and not everyone finds it easy to set boundaries. Having someone call you gives you a safe excuse to leave.”

Crowdfunding and co-founder search
Yeline is running a crowdfunding campaign to raise enough money to launch the app. At the same time, she is seeking a technical co-founder who can build upon the prototype to create a first version of the app. Those interested are encouraged to contact her through this email address or send her a direct message on Instagram. The crowdfunding is going well so far. It went live on the 26th of August and has already raised 548 euros. Yeline credits the campaign’s early success to a TikTok video in which she explains her idea. It has been viewed over 230,000 times. 

In addition, Yeline aims to create a broad support base for her project through collaborations with NGOs, government agencies, authorities, clubs, and restaurants. Moreover, when dreaming about the future, she envisions the app as part of a larger community-building effort that would encompass other safety-related initiatives, including workshops, lectures, and courses on how to be an active bystander, as well as topics such as how gender stereotypes harm both men and women, among others. She also envisions selling merchandise such as pins, wristbands and tote bags. 

“I want to give women and others a tool that helps them feel safe and gives them a way to remove themselves from dangerous situations,” Yeline says. “I hope we will be the last generation to feel this fear. I’m tired of it.”

The notification that appears on the inner circle's phone when the user pushes the SOS button: "Kim is feeling unsafe! Click here to call her". Image: courtesy of Yeline Hoogmans