Yemisi Izuora
SAP SE has announced that the Women At Risk International Foundation (WARIF), a nonprofit that combats sexual violence, rape and human trafficking of girls and women across Nigeria, has gone live with the SAP People Connect 365 mobile service from the SAP Digital Interconnect group.
Using automated keywords, templates and workflows along with channels such as SMS and e-mail, this cloud-based service allows organizations to connect with employees and others during planned and unplanned disruptions. WARIF Gatekeepers Project, sponsored by the ACT Foundation, is using SAP People Connect 365 to manage communication with midwives and other key staff that work with the foundation’s clinics to connect with abuse victims.
WARIF seeks to raise awareness of the growing prevalence of gender-based violence, sexual abuse, rape and human trafficking and the stigma of reporting it. WARIF seek to address the problem through the development and implementation of a series of initiatives geared to improve the treatment of the affected women and reduce the high incidence of gender-based violence. The foundation is using SAP People Connect 365 to help communicate with affected women in rural areas who do not have ready access to the services offered by the organization and to improve on the reporting of such cases.
“This initiative shows that technology improves society, not just economy,” said Michael Kleinemeier, member of the Executive Board of SAP SE. “With SAP Digital Interconnect and its 99 percent reach of mobile consumers worldwide, WARIF connects everyone with positive effect for the whole community.”
With the help of SAP People Connect 365, WARIF now has a simple-to-use tool to reach victims in rural and urban areas.
“Our primary social responsibility is to ensure that all young girls and women live in a society free of rape and sexual violence across all communities in Nigeria,” said Dr. Kemi DaSilva, founder, WARIF. “With over 50 percent of the population in Nigeria still living in rural and sometimes hard-to-reach areas with limited access, the implementation of SAP People Connect 365 has finally given us the ability to send and receive information in a timely fashion. The cloud-based interactive dashboard is an ideal platform that has enabled us to monitor and measure events relating to cases of gender-based violence. It allows us to obtain the necessary data to help in the early detection and prevention of these cases in affected communities.”
Since adopting the service, WARIF has reached approximately 500 midwives, who help identify and treat sufferers of abuse. SAP People Connect 365 will enable streamlined communication and create a more scalable solution for WARIF to realize its vision of building a society free of rape and sexual violence.