According to a 2019 study by Statistics Canada, 92% of women take conscious precautions to stay safe in public, while only 23% feel safe when alone at night. In response to those figures, Publicis Toronto – alongside partner agencies Hawkeye, Nurun and ThePub within the Publicis Groupe Canada network – launched an app, “Calls on Call,” ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8.
Publicis says the app and website offer audio scripts catered to scenarios where women might feel unsafe, like during uncomfortable taxi or rideshare journeys or simply while walking alone on the streets at night. In addition to these scripts, the app features three functions: sharing the user’s location with up to three emergency contacts, direct access to emergency services and an easy-to-navigate user interface.
The app took its cues from social-media posts in which fake telephone conversations, or scripts, are created for people to interact with in vulnerable situations. Lone women, for example, might ward off unwanted attention by making it seem as if they are on speakerphone with someone who knows their location and is checking up on them.
“While ‘Calls on Call’ is not a guarantee of absolute safety, it serves as a vital digital tool to help women feel safer in their daily lives,” Mary Chambers, chief strategy officer with Publicis Toronto, said in a press release. “This initiative is a significant step toward providing a tangible safety tool for women to thrive. Our commitment is to enhance this tool continuously, working closely with partners and leveraging our team’s expertise to expand and refine the support we offer, step by step, with each update.”
The app took its cues from social-media posts in which fake telephone conversations are used to ward off unwanted attention by making it seem as if a person is speaking to someone who knows their location and is checking up on them.
“Calls on Call” is currently available for free in English and is accessible across Canada. Publicis says future expansion includes introducing French-language scripts and integrating generative AI for real-time phone and text interactions.
