[ti:Indian Women Turning to Apps to Report Harassment] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.01]New software programs for wireless devices [00:03.94]are helping women in India stay safe in public spaces. [00:09.21]Developers say these apps, short for applications, [00:14.44]make it easier for women to report harassment and get help. [00:20.48]A study for the Thomson Reuters Foundation shows [00:25.21]that safety is the biggest concern for women [00:29.41]who use public and private transportation. [00:33.08]Writer Sameera Khan helped prepare the book "Why Loiter? [00:38.28]Women and Risk on Mumbai Streets." [00:41.81]She told the Reuters news agency that women always [00:47.27]have a plan of action for visiting public spaces. [00:51.20]The plan includes what clothes to wear, [00:54.89]what kind of transportation to take, [00:57.72]what time to go out and whether they should travel alone or in a group. [01:03.69]Indian government records show reported cases of crime [01:08.91]against women increased by more than 80 percent between 2007 and 2016. [01:16.78]The deadly rape and killing of a young woman on a New Delhi bus [01:22.43]in 2012 showed the dangers women face in India's public spaces. [01:28.86]That incident led Supreet Singh of the Red Dot Foundation, [01:34.31]a not-for-profit group, to create the SafeCity app. [01:39.24]The app urges women in 11 Indian cities to report incidents [01:45.17]of harassment and tell where those incidents take place. [01:49.93]Singh told Reuters, "We want to bridge the gap [01:54.82]between the...reality of harassment in public spaces [01:58.21]and what is actually being reported." [02:01.63]The aim is to direct attention to the areas where crimes [02:06.25]are being reported so that Indian officials can take action against them. [02:12.75]Activists say women feel most at risk on crowded buses [02:18.25]and other public transportation, paths leading to public restrooms, [02:23.50]underground rooms and parks. [02:27.47]Rights activists say social stigma tied to sexual harassment [02:33.56]and an uncaring police reporting process results [02:37.80]in many cases going unreported. [02:41.22]But apps like SafeCity, My Safetipin and Himmat promise [02:47.37]to provide privacy to women reporting crimes. [02:50.95]They also promise to share the information collected [02:55.38]through the app with government agencies. [02:59.10]Supreet Singh says SafeCity has helped "in many small ways." [03:05.23]She notes an increase in the number of police officials [03:09.80]in likely crime areas and improved lighting in dark places. [03:15.79]Police officials in many Indian cities urge women [03:21.04]to report crimes using the software programs. [03:24.73]In return, officials promise to investigate those reports quickly. [03:30.93]I'm Jonathan Evans. [03:34.04]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM