A new iPhone and Apple Watch app called Fearless has been created to address the issue of violence against women.

The app enables women and other users to send a distress signal and broadcast their GPS location to trusted contacts.

The free app, called Fearless, has been developed by CHE Proximity in response to stats that show 93 per cent of Australian women have changed their behaviour to ensure safety out of home: almost half of women avoid exercising after dark and six out of ten women avoid walking home at night.

The app works like an invisible personal security guard that can send a touch-activated distress signal, instantly, in order to help women continue their usual routines and not change their behaviour as so many have been doing.

If the user feels threatened or in danger, they double tap the app and Fearless immediately alerts the user’s pre-selected emergency contacts (in the video’s case, a male companion of sorts) with a distress SMS, including the user’s GPS location and a live sound recording.

CHE Proximity MD Chris Howatson said the app is designed to empower women and others with the peace of mind to go about their daily lives, fearlessly, no matter their age, location or profession.

“As an agency, we were really alarmed to learn that Australian women suffer random sexual assaults at twice the rate of women worldwide. This is just not good enough. The subject of personal safety is one that society needs to address head-on.”

“With the digital capabilities to develop an Apple Watch app, we knew we had an opportunity to create something that would make a real difference to this growing problem. The result is Fearless, an app designed exclusively to empower Australians to challenge fear, instead of simply accepting it.”

Developed for an Apple Watch or iPhone, Fearless is easy to use on the go: a single tap puts the app in standby, so it is ready to alert up to three pre-selected emergency contacts.