Kalpana Viswanath: Harnessing Technology for Safer Communities with Safetipin

In a country grappling with the critical issue of women’s safety, Kalpana Viswanath has emerged as a catalyst for change, leveraging technology to address and transform the landscape of urban safety. Co-founder of the Safetipin app, Kalpana Viswanath’s journey is a testament to her unwavering commitment to gender equality and creating safer spaces for women in India.

With over two decades of dedicated work in the realm of gender equality, Kalpana Viswanath’s journey has been marked by a deep sense of purpose. Having spent a significant part of her career closely involved with Jagori, where she currently serves as a Senior Advisor for the Safe Delhi program, Kalpana has been at the forefront of initiatives aimed at fostering safer and more inclusive cities. Her foray into the domain of women’s safety was driven by a personal connection to the cause and a desire to translate her years of experience and insights into tangible solutions. Witnessing the alarming reports on the deteriorating safety situation in Delhi, Kalpana, along with her husband Ashish Basu, embarked on a mission to create a hands-on solution that could empower individuals and communities.

In November 2013, the dynamic duo introduced Safetipin, a groundbreaking app designed to assess and enhance the safety of urban spaces. Compatible with both iOS and Android platforms, Safetipin operates as a crowd-sourced app, allowing users to conduct safety audits of specific locations based on predefined parameters. The safety audit encompasses crucial factors such as lighting, population density, public transport proximity, and the overall perception of safety. By assigning a score to each location, Safetipin provides a comprehensive view of how safe an area is, as evaluated by the community. The app encourages community participation, with both the Safetipin team and app users contributing to safety audits.

Safetipin’s core philosophy revolves around community engagement and the generation of actionable data. By encouraging users to actively participate in safety audits, the app aims to create a robust database that can be utilized for advocacy and urban planning. Kalpana emphasizes the importance of conducting audits post-sunset to ensure accurate assessments of safety levels. The app’s features extend beyond audits, offering practical solutions for individuals navigating urban spaces. A unique feature allows users to share their location with a friend or family member, enhancing safety for those traveling alone, especially during odd hours. This feature operates on a voluntary basis, emphasizing user control and privacy.

Safetipin’s impact goes beyond the digital realm, with the team actively collaborating on projects that bridge the gap between technology and real-world implementation. The “Salamat” project in collaboration with the Dwarka police involves safety audits to generate data used by the police for advocacy and strategic planning. Beyond Delhi, Safetipin has initiated the “Safety Chaupal” pilot literacy project in Gurgaon, encouraging residents in slums and low-income neighborhoods to conduct safety audits. The data collected is then analyzed and shared, fostering collaboration between citizens and authorities for targeted advocacy.

Internationally, Safetipin has expanded its reach through a partnership with Bogota in Colombia. The app’s global outlook aligns with Kalpana’s vision of leveraging technology to foster safer communities on a global scale.

While Kalpana acknowledges the Delhi government’s limited engagement since the app’s launch, she remains optimistic about increased involvement from municipal bodies. The potential for transparent data to drive action is a cornerstone of Safetipin’s approach, emphasizing that women’s safety is a collective responsibility.

Funded by the Ford Foundation and DFID, Safetipin envisions monetizing the extensive data it collects while expanding its footprint to multiple countries. With a vision to engage people globally in building safer communities, Kalpana’s journey exemplifies the transformative power of technology when harnessed for a social cause.