KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, says development of the JamSafe App – a digital platform for safeguarding against gender-based violence (GBV) – reflects the Government’s commitment to harnessing innovation to strengthen prevention, early intervention and coordinated support for survivors and those at risk.

In remarks delivered on her behalf by Principal Director of the Bureau of Gender Affairs (BGA), Sharon Coburn Robinson, during a recent workshop on ‘AI: Online Safety and Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence’ conducted at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, Grange said the ministry, through the BGA, is developing the platform to harness technology as a tool for protection.

She explained that the app is being designed to give survivors and individuals at risk immediate access to support services through features such as a one-tap emergency alert, artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted safety screening, secure communication with trained responders, real-time location sharing with user consent, and direct access to the 24-hour GBV Helpline.

Grange also stressed that the issue lies not with technology itself but with how it is designed, governed and applied.

She noted that while AI can be misused to facilitate abuse, it also holds significant potential to improve access to justice, enhance emergency response, identify patterns of harm, and connect survivors with lifesaving services more quickly and effectively.

—   JIS