Uruguay Deploys 'Élida 360' App to Enforce Restraining Orders and Protect Women

2 hours ago7 min read1 comments

Uruguay has launched a groundbreaking mobile application, 'Élida 360,' to empower victims of gender-based violence by providing a direct and discreet method to report offenders who violate protective measures. Named for Élida Pensado Graña, the nation's first uniformed police officer, the app represents a critical modernization of a system previously dependent on paper-based orders and victim-initiated phone calls during moments of crisis.This initiative responds to alarming data from Uruguay’s National Observatory on Violence and Crime, which shows persistently high rates of femicide and domestic abuse, revealing the inadequacies of traditional protection mechanisms. By creating an immediate digital link to authorities, the tool aims to lower the bureaucratic and emotional hurdles that often prevent survivors from seeking help, offering a means for both urgent intervention and the reclamation of personal autonomy.The app's effectiveness, however, is contingent on several key factors: the availability of stable internet across all regions, particularly in rural and underserved urban communities; thorough training for police to ensure swift and trauma-informed responses; and stringent data security to prevent the technology from being misused by abusers. Uruguay's strategy mirrors digital interventions attempted in countries like Spain and Argentina, where outcomes have been varied, underscoring a global lesson: while technology is a potent tool for enhancing safety, it is not a substitute for the essential work of transforming patriarchal cultures and fortifying judicial and social systems to reliably support and protect women. The ultimate success of Élida 360 will be judged not by its installation rate, but by its capacity to produce a measurable decline in violence and a rise in successful prosecutions, marking a definitive move from reactive measures to proactive, effective safeguarding.

#featured

#Uruguay

#gender-based violence

#mobile app

#Élida 360

#restraining orders

#government initiative

#women's safety

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