1 in 3 Be Free App: A gift to New Zealand women this season

MEDIA RELEASE 22 December 2016

1 in 3 Be Free App: A gift to New Zealand women this season

Inner City Women’s Group (ICWG) in Auckland is encouraging women to screen their relationships for violence and abuse.

“Over the holidays we think about protecting ourselves from the sun, from accidents on the road and from burglaries etc.

We think women should be able to think about possible risks in their relationships as well,” says Deborah Mackenzie, ICWG Agency Manager.

Inner City Women’s Group have created a mobile app to help women screen their relationships for violence and abuse.

The 1 in 3 Be Free App, developed in partnership with Omnispex, is available for free download from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store and can also be used via the website www.1in3befree.org.nz Inner City Women’s Group know from working directly with women affected by violence that financial, verbal, psychological, physical and sexual abuse are often misunderstood and downplayed.

Often abusive behaviour can be dismissed by friends, family and wider society who say ‘that’s just how it is’.

ICWG wants to help women understand that experiencing abuse and violence is not normal or acceptable and help is available.

“We recognise that it isn’t always easy to identify when behaviours in a relationship become concerning, controlling, or abusive, so we want to help educate women about different forms of abuse and their effects,” Mackenzie says.

Users begin by taking a quiz that asks a series of questions about their current relationship or a relationship they are in process of leaving or have left.

At the end of the quiz, different types of abuse are highlighted based on the user’s answers, and short videos can be played to explain the specific dynamics of each type of abuse.

The user can then access a reputable list of support services, either National or Regional (depending on their location) to assist them in finding specialist support if they need/want it.

“It would be fantastic if all of the 2 million women aged 15 and over in New Zealand had the opportunity to learn more about domestic violence and think about it in terms of their own relationships, or those of other women they love and care about.

Domestic violence is incredibly destructive and still so difficult to make sense of.

Our App has been developed to give women more information in a really accessible and safe way.

It’s our gift to New Zealand women; please open it” says Mackenzie.

The name ‘1 in 3 Be Free’ is based on the statistic that one in three women in New Zealand will experience physical and/or sexual abuse from a partner or ex--partner at some point in their life.

1_in_3_Be_Free_App_Factsheet.pdf

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About Inner City Women’s Group
Since 1988, Inner City Women's Group has been committed to providing support and education programmes for Auckland women with experience of domestic violence.

For a full list of their services, please visit www.innercitywomensgroup.org.nz/ourprogrammes.

About Omnispex Omnispex is a digital creative collective, specialising in website development, branding & digital media.

For more information, please visit www.omnispex.co.nz.

The Duluth Model: Power and Control Wheel – Inner City Women’s Group have developed the app with the support of the Domestic Abuse Intervention Program (DAIP), Duluth, Minnesota, USA.

For more information, please visit http://www.theduluthmodel.org/training/wheels.html

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