Jakarta (ANTARA) - Online motorcycle taxi service Gojek has strengthened its security commitment by implementing the highest safety standards in the industry to protect customers and driver partners, especially women, to mark International Women's Day.

"For Gojek, security and safety are top priorities in our ecosystem, including for female users and drivers. Since the beginning of our operation, we have spearheaded initiatives to raise the safety standards of transportation services," senior manager, public affairs at Gojek, Josefhine Chitra, said in a statement released on Thursday.

The company has continued to improve the standards and capabilities of the Gojek Emergency Unit Team in handling reports related to sexual violence through regular training (refresher training), she informed.

This year, training on the fundamental principles for dealing with whistleblowers was provided by UN Women (UN Entity for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment) to the Emergency Unit Team in charge of receiving reports, she said.

These principles include creating a sense of security through empathy, acceptance, and care, not blaming the victim, not judging, building equal relationships, respecting different backgrounds, and empowering victims through providing useful information, she informed.

Gojek has also added women-friendly spaces or Safe Zones in strategic locations, near crowds, and in public transportation hubs, with adequate lighting facilities, waiting chairs, and public education materials to socialize creation of safe public spaces for women, Chitra said.

Head of the UN Women Program, Dwi Yuliati-Faiz, said the training, which UN Women facilitated for the Gojek Emergency Unit Team, emphasized the importance of aspects of cultural formation and knowledge of parties that directly play a role in helping victims of sexual violence.

This fundamental matter will determine the steps taken in the handling process, she informed.

So, the Gojek Emergency Unit Team can be part of the solution that is able to help victims, she remarked.

The training for the Emergency Unit Team and the Safe Zones are part of the “protection pillar” under the #AmanBersamaGojek initiative, and complement the other two pillars, namely technology and education, the company said.

The "technology pillar” includes Gojek SHIELD, which is supported by technology and utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to provide protection to users.

Its features include facial recognition and verification of drivers’ identities, maintaining anonymity of telephone numbers of both customers and drivers, a trip-share feature, and an emergency button connected to customer care and Emergency Unit Teams, who are on standby 24/7 and trained to understand the perspective of the victim, according to Gojek.

Under the “education pillar”, Gojek is actively campaigning for the movement to become an active bystander, including by educating its driver partners.

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Translator: Arnidhya N, Azis K
Editor: Sri Haryati
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