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Uber launches ‘Out of Bounds’ initiative to curb harassment

The Uber app recently launched its “Out of Bounds” campaign, to curb violence against women through a series of videos that emulate common soccer plays to raise awareness in the user community about inappropriate behavior — which can include anything from overt staring to inappropriate comments during a trip or delivery.

“This initiative is part of the ongoing effort to foster respectful environments, and with which we reaffirm our commitment to being part of the solution to a complex and systemic problem in our region, such as violence against women,” said Manuela Bedoya, Uber Safety Communications Manager for the Andean, Central American and the Caribbean Region.

“With the support of experts in pedagogy and gender, we hope to spread this message to remind our entire community that the Uber app does not tolerate any form of harassment,” she said.

The videos are the result of research conducted by experts from the Transversal and Organized Creative Action civil association in several Latin American countries, based on a methodology centered on focus groups and playful activities that explored topics such as: social constructions of gender, masculinities, macho attitudes, naturalized behaviors, and harassment.

To make it easier to report a harassment incident, Uber integrated an option to do so directly from the app. The user only has to go to the “Your trips” option, click on the trip they want to report, then in the “Help” menu choose “I had a safety problem” and, finally, tap “Report sexual harassment.”

“At Uber we have a specialized 24/7 support team, where each report we receive is reviewed to take the corresponding measures, which may include permanently disabling the use of an account,” Bedoya said.

This initiative is part of Uber’s ongoing effort to foster an environment of respect among users, drivers, and couriers, with technological innovations such as the ability to send a text message to 911 through the app in an emergency, it said.

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This story was written by our staff based on a press release.
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