2024-12-11
Safety by Cilia Nominated for eQualizer of the Year
Cissi Nilsson, along with her app Safety by Cilia, has been nominated for the eQualizer of the Year award at the Consid Awards 2024. The award recognizes initiatives that have exemplarily advanced gender equality in business and contributed to positive change. All nominees are being interviewed in a podcast series on the Digital Influencer Podcast, with winners announced periodically. Cissi Nilsson is the third guest.
After a traumatic incident in her own life at just 19 years old, when she was drugged at a bar, abducted, and woke up with no memory of the evening, Cissi lived in a constant state of fear and insecurity.
– I couldn’t sleep alone. It got to the point where I slept with a baseball bat in my bed and a soft-air gun under my pillow, Cissi shared on the Digital Influencer Podcast.
For nearly three years, she lived this way until one day she decided it could not continue.
– I realized, ‘I can’t live the rest of my life like this. If I keep living this way, I might as well die tomorrow.’ So I picked up my phone and wrote a list of things that make me feel safe. It became like therapy.
That list ultimately became the foundation of her company, Safety by Cilia, which produces, among other things, jewelry with built-in personal alarms.
– It’s a regular bracelet where the technology is integrated into the clasp on the underside. The links are interchangeable, partly for personalization and partly to prevent attackers from recognizing the jewelry, she explained.
In the summer of 2024, she launched an app under the same name. The app’s primary function is to send alerts in emergency situations. Whether triggered through the app or a piece of jewelry, a GPS location is sent to the user’s emergency contacts. The app also allows users to register as “rescuers.”
– For example, if I’m a rescuer and something happens near me, I receive a notification that someone nearby needs help. Then I’m asked if I want to assist. If I agree, I’m directed to the location and consent to share my personal information with the police. An automatic audio recording is also initiated, securely encrypted, and stored in our cloud.
She added:
– Audio recordings are generally one of the best forms of evidence in Swedish courts. One of the main reasons only five out of 100 rape cases result in convictions is the lack of evidence.
Positive Feedback
Since the app’s launch in August, it has gained over 5,000 users.
– We’ve received incredibly positive feedback. I’d say 99% of customers we meet say it’s a fantastic tool and something they’ve been waiting for to help others.
Currently, the app costs 29 SEK per month, and the bracelets range from 800 to 1,500 SEK, which has led to mixed reactions.
– Many people feel it shouldn’t be a question of cost, and I completely agree. But at the same time, I can separate my personal opinion from the reality of the situation. If I hadn’t developed an attractive business model, we wouldn’t have secured investment, and without that, we couldn’t have developed or produced this product. The alternative would be to do nothing, and that wouldn’t help anyone.
The company also collaborates extensively with women’s shelters and other organizations, distributing a certain number of bracelets each year.
– There are so many women living in abusive relationships where affording a product costing 1,500 SEK is very difficult. These partnerships are extremely important to me.
In the future, Cissi envisions a complete jewelry collection for women, men, and children, as well as expansion beyond Sweden into the rest of the Nordic region. Cissi Nilsson’s dedication and drive make her a worthy finalist for eQualizer of the Year. The nomination reads:
“Safety by Cilia is nominated for its groundbreaking work in improving safety and fostering a sense of security for women. Through innovative safety solutions via an app and soon jewelry with built-in personal alarms, combined with a deep passion for creating safer daily lives, Safety by Cilia has demonstrated how technology can be used to enhance individual safety. Their personal alarms and safety products have not only revolutionized the safety industry but also inspired greater awareness of women’s security. Safety by Cilia is a role model in social responsibility and innovation, deserving of this nomination for its contribution to a safer society.”
Listen to the full episode with Cissi Nilsson on the Digital Influencer Podcast on December 12.