Mechanism to report sexual harassment in Ecuador buses
Women said while using public transportation, people inside of the buses took advantage of the packed vehicles and tried to rub their private parts against their shoulder when they were sitting or rubbed against their buttocks while they were standing.
As of now, women can use a text message alarm system through a mechanism installed on the bus if they are being harassed. The alarm triggers a message designated for harassment along with the number of the bus unit. Upon receiving this message, a person at the central office receives the number of the unit and can investigate the case further through a database which lists the name of the bus unit and which bus terminal it started from along with the contact details of the bus driver for an immediate response.
So far, nearly 1,132 sexual harassment cases have been reported in the Trolleybus and Ecovia units and 100 reports in conventional buses. According to Maria Fernanda Pacheco, program manager of the anti-harassment campaign, 35 such cases have been prosecuted, with 10 convictions.
www.praeventionstag.de
