The “Move Safely” hackathon invites young Ticos, especially women, to propose innovative solutions to improve their safety while traveling by active means in public transport. It is a 100% virtual event, for multidisciplinary teams to design solutions to the vulnerability of users in their journeys, especially when they go alone, by the creation of groups or networks to travel in the company of equals, through the use of digital tools, data and innovation methodologies.
“Move safely” is part of the gender-sensitive initiative of innovation in solutions to the insecurity of users in public transport, promoted jointly by the National Institute of Women (Inamu), the Ministry of Environment and Energy (Minae ), the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT), the Road Safety Council (Cosevi).
The CRUSA Foundation and the MiTransporte project of the German Development Cooperation GIZ also participate, with the support of Cenfotec University, the collaboration of SAP, the College of Informatics and Computing Professionals, and the Business Alliance for Development (AED) .
Travel patterns
The insecurity in public transport and the existence of a mobility system that does not respond adequately to the travel patterns of the users has made, more and more, that young people choose to migrate towards other transport modes. Investigations by the entities involved show that in Costa Rica more women use public transport, regardless of the reason for their travel, and have less access to a private vehicle.
Their mobility patterns are characterized by multimodal dynamics, with little response in the offer of collective public transport in terms of schedules, route flexibility and space and safety conditions inside and outside the vehicle units, added to the insecurity at bus stops and journeys, which are considered, according to the survey, the main risk for mobility in public spaces.
Most at-risk situations
The Third National Survey on the Perception of Human Rights of Women carried out by Inamu in 2017 revealed that 63% of the people interviewed recognized that the street is one of the spaces where women are most susceptible to violence and harrasment. Likewise, around 97% of the people interviewed said they agreed with more strict laws with regards to physical aggression of women in transport and public spaces.
How to participate
Those interested in participating must register and consult the bases at https://muevetesegura.com. The call is open from February 16 to March 16, 2021. The winning team will receive a prize for $ 3,600, as well as support for the implementation of the proposal.
The hackathon will take place on March 19, 20 and 21, 2021, in a 100% virtual format, so that people who live in Costa Rica, form work teams of a maximum of 5 people of which at least 3 must be women, to propose an innovative solution to improve the safety of users when traveling.
People who do not have a team and wish to participate can register individually, so they have the opportunity to participate and the organization will assign them a team on the day of the event.
Solutions proposed
The teams must include in their proposals a solution to the problem posed, which is technologically feasible and designed to improve the experience of the target population: women in their diversity. The proposal must include gender equality and human rights approaches.
“At the German Cooperation we are very pleased to be part of this initiative in order to develop a solution that improves the experience of using public transport,” said Claus Kruse, director of the GIZ MiTransporte project.
“At Fundación CRUSA we are convinced that the use of public transportation is essential to promote Costa Rica’s transition towards a greener and more inclusive economy,” added Flora Montealegre, executive delegate of Fundación CRUSA.
