The Pride
We empower women to protect themselves using a Bluetooth token and app to ensure a perfectly timed phone call just when they need it.
Project Description
Why The Pride?
Every day, women are approached by men. Those men may be her boss, her best friend's husband, or a stranger on the street. Most of the time, the man does not intend to threaten the woman, but she does not know that. “If I try to walk away, will he try to stop me? Yell at me? Assault me? Rape me?” She doesn’t know. At that moment, all she wants is a way to safely escape the situation. She looks for ways to politely end the conversation and move on with her day. Sometimes, that’s easy. Sometimes, it’s not. We provide women an additional tool to use to safely excuse herself.
Women are taught, from the time they are young girls, to be polite, to be nice, not to make a scene. This makes us easy prey for too many men. It also means that we are unlikely to use things like pepper spray, guns, or other self-defense devices, even if we carry it.
But, we can use a phone call or an-person interruption to politely excuse ourselves. (And if we can’t, it’s a sign to our Prides to call 911.)
What is The Pride?
With The Pride, the user presses a button on her Bluetooth token – which is either attached to her keyring or can be put on her watch band or FitBit band. That’s all she does; from there, the app takes over, providing three levels of alerts: first, to her Personal Pride; second, an automated call; and third, to the Pride Family. That provides three opportunities for her to excuse herself. And two for someone to call 911 if appropriate.
The Pride is designed to balance several realities: that more and more women are speaking out about the harassment they deal with, making it easier to confront; the way we behave in stressful situations, when our brains are flooded with adrenaline; that it’s wiser to end a harmless interaction than to find out it wasn’t harmless; that this person is just as likely to be someone we’ll see again than it is a stranger; that we don’t want to involved 911 unless we have to – but we want it available if we need it. We’ve considered all of the issues and more, resulting in The Pride.
Don’t you want to be Part of the Pride?
Updates
The Campaign FAQs
When will The Pride be available?
That's a great question, and one I wish I could answer. From the time we get the funding we need, it'll be about 3 months before we are ready for Beta testing.
How do I sign up to be a Beta tester?
Go to our website and click the "Be a Beta Tester" button. Fill out the form, confirm you're subscription, and voila!
How do I stay in touch after the campaign?
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and go to our website and click the "Subscribe" button.
Thank you! You are officially my true friend because you believe in me enough to contribute to my campaign.
Since you don't have The Pride - yet - you need a different way to protect yourself. How about a nice, loud whistle to attach to your keyring. (It also has a light attached, great when walking your dogs at night.)
Since you don't have The Pride - yet - you need a different way to protect yourself. If the whistle isn't enough, how about a cute cat ear ring that you can use to stab him in the eye? (silver and gunmetal available - all are ring size 7)
Since you don't have The Pride - yet - you need a different way to protect yourself. But you can't decide between the whistle and the ring. No need! Get both! (Ring size 7 - silver and gunmetal available )
Show everyone that you're a Part of the Pride with our fabulous t-shirts (men's and women's sizes, black or royal blue)
So you have the whistle, and you have a ring, but what about The Pride? In the Ultimate Protect Yourself Package, you get the first devices for testing. (2 separate shipments)
So you have the whistle, and you have a ring, but what about The Pride? In the Ultimate Protect Yourself Package, you get the first devices for testing. (2 separate shipments)
Stay warm this winter while showing everyone that you’re a Part of the Pride AND add either a whistle or ring
You like us. You really, really like us. And you want it ALL. And we love you for that. A whistle, ring, t-shirt, and hoodie - and first to get The Pride when it's out.
We will dedicate a special part of our website to our generous benefactors
Rewards
Thank you! You are officially my true friend because you believe in me enough to contribute to my campaign.
Since you don't have The Pride - yet - you need a different way to protect yourself. How about a nice, loud whistle to attach to your keyring. (It also has a light attached, great when walking your dogs at night.)
Since you don't have The Pride - yet - you need a different way to protect yourself. If the whistle isn't enough, how about a cute cat ear ring that you can use to stab him in the eye? (silver and gunmetal available - all are ring size 7)
Since you don't have The Pride - yet - you need a different way to protect yourself. But you can't decide between the whistle and the ring. No need! Get both! (Ring size 7 - silver and gunmetal available )
Show everyone that you're a Part of the Pride with our fabulous t-shirts (men's and women's sizes, black or royal blue)
So you have the whistle, and you have a ring, but what about The Pride? In the Ultimate Protect Yourself Package, you get the first devices for testing. (2 separate shipments)
So you have the whistle, and you have a ring, but what about The Pride? In the Ultimate Protect Yourself Package, you get the first devices for testing. (2 separate shipments)
Stay warm this winter while showing everyone that you’re a Part of the Pride AND add either a whistle or ring
You like us. You really, really like us. And you want it ALL. And we love you for that. A whistle, ring, t-shirt, and hoodie - and first to get The Pride when it's out.
We will dedicate a special part of our website to our generous benefactors