A platform aims to end sexual harassment on public transport

The platform makes it easier to report incidents and access support

Spotted: Visible Platform welcomes visitors to its website with the stark statistic that 90 per cent of women have been harassed on public transport. The co-founders emphasise to every woman wondering if it is worth reporting an incident that every story is important. Every report adds to the collective understanding of the size of the problem. Even if an instance does not qualify as a crime legally, if it made the person receiving the attention uncomfortable, it counts as harassment.

The website is live and collecting stories, and individuals provide as much or as little detail as they like. In addition to the reporting capability, the website includes resources to guide individuals through the reporting process – if that is something they would like to do. This includes advice for witnesses, lists of organisations to call for support, and general information about harassment.

The company plans to work closely with a range of organisations to help end public sexual harassment. As the database of information grows, the team plans to also share their analysis with police forces, including British Transport Police.

Innovators are increasingly turning to technology to shine a light on what has historically been a silently endured endemic of violence against women. A connected smart dress was used in an ad campaign to showcase commonly occurring incidents of harassment of women during a night of clubbing, and blockchain is timestamping reports of workplace harassment to create a private, unalterable digital record.