Marseille is experimenting with an anti-harassment app on the beach

We know it : bullying does not go on vacation and shamelessly invites itself on your beach towel, when you planned to quietly wallow in the pill.

Launched this summer by the city of Marseille, an application aims to combat sexist and sexual harassment on the beaches of the city of Marseille. The initiative comes from the Municipality and was conceived in collaboration with various local associations. Entitled Safer Plage, the app has been tested throughout the month of August on the Prado beach and could be extended to all beaches in Marseille next summer.

It is free to download. The operation is very simple: intended for both witnesses and victims, it allows you to issue a report via an emergency button. The anonymous report reaches the emergency room on the beach, where the agents are present and are in contact with the police. The alert is geolocated and allows them to quickly intervene with the victim.

A barnum was set up to provide resources against harassment and to exchange with representatives of feminist associations.

A message is also transmitted on the loudspeaker every two hours.

A necessary anti-harassment initiative (but is it enough?)

In June 2021, a Yougov survey conducted for Bumble showed that nearly half of people between the ages of 18 and 24 experienced harassment while on the beach and more than a third of women between the ages of 25 and 34. reported having experienced similar events.

This results in comments, insults, insistent looks, but also unsolicited flirting.

Is an app enough to stop a phenomenon that goes far beyond the beach and is still trivialized throughout society? The municipality of Marseille and partner associations rely on its dissuasive aspect.

On the user side there are already limits to the initiative as noted Publication : some have gone ” their laptop in the locker to avoid theft, others prefer to have a human presence rather than rely on a digital tool.

Finally, others note that it is always up to the same people to be vigilant and think of strategies to protect themselves, even if the beach should be a quiet place where you can finally think about something else. ” It is the women who are attacked and it is still up to them to download an app and sound the alarm… It’s crazy! But when do we deal with raising awareness among men? “

Whether in bars, on vacation or in a festive context, it is clear that women always find themselves multiplying the means and tools to cope with potential attacks … without the same energy being deployed for men to stop attacking. and rape.

And you, what do you think of this app? An effective way to combat harassment or just another gimmick?

Photo credit: Safer Plage app