A phone app designed to make it easier for victims of domestic violence to quickly access support has been downloaded more than 2000 times since its launch in March.

The Daisy app – developed by 1800RESPECT with input from all state and territory governments and funded by the Department of Social Services – allows users to find specialist services for victims of sexual assault, domestic and family violence listed by state and local council area.

Special features of Daisy include a ‘get help’ function that allows users to quickly call triple zero and a ‘quick exit’ button to quickly move from screens containing the service information.

An improved version, Daisy 2.0, was raunched last week with new features including information translated into 28 languages, text-to-voice functionality for women who are vision impaired or with low literacy,and an SMS function for women living in rural or remote areas.

Domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty praised the app for connecting more women to support services.

“When you are experiencing gendered violence, people often tell you what to do – but the strongest predictor of a woman’s safety is the woman herself,” Ms Batty said. “The phone is often the thing that you keep the closest, so to have all this information on an app is fantastic.

“What Daisy gives you is options and choices – it will help connect you with options and make choices that suit you, not what people tell you to do. If a refuge is the help you want, you can access that information. If you want specialist support, that’s there too.”

Ms Batty said that family and friends could also use Daisy to find information to support a loved one’s decision making.

The Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, Michaelia Cash, said the app was now more accessible to all women and it acknowledged that women’s experiences of domestic violence varied.

“For example, for some women living in isolated parts of Australia police may not be the first point of response,” said Ms Cash. “We also know that women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds represent a significant portion of those living in violent situations. Daisy 2.0 seeks to address those specific groups to increase accessibility for women across Australia.”

In June, Daisy won a 2015 Australian Information Industry Association Victorian iAward for government innovation. It was recognised for the easy, intuitive and safe way it helps users to find a wide range of services -from specialist services, legal support, housing, children’s services or financial counselling, through to housing providers.

You can find out more here.

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