Girls Just Wanna Have Fun(damental Club Safety)

Being a woman is tough. In the boardroom, you’re represented less; in the street, you get harassed more.

There’s an endless stream of challenges being thrown your way but still you plough on, eager to get through to Friday so you can blow off some steam. And then some creep goes and ruins it by following you home. Ah, the joys of womanhood!

We know it’s no cure for the woes of being a woman, but our list of night-out essentials might be a step in the right direction.

We’re providing you with the latest apps and innovations designed especially for women, by women (mostly).

Our ‘Five APPsolute Must-Haves’ are essential reading for anyone looking to make their (or their friend’s) life that little bit less stressful.

1. Nightcap – the hair scrunchie that doubles up as a drink cover

Founded by a sixteen-year-old girl and her brother from Florida, Nightcap has won a whole host of awards in its short lifetime. It doesn’t take a genius to work out why – it’s usable, wearable, and it doesn’t look bad either.

The kit consists of a hair scrunchie with a reusable drinks cover hidden inside that you can put over your beverage and keep attached to your wrist while dancing.

Retailing at just under $12, it’s a bit of a no-brainer really.

2. Circulo – the app that keeps you in touch with your support circle

Circulo started life as ‘Circle of 6’, but it’s since become a dual-language platform complete with a new name and whole host of additional features.

It’s user-friendly and comprehensive, with functions like an alert button that speed-dials six chosen friends and a GPS tracking system that sends them your location in the very same instant.

Pretty neat huh? And it’s totally free.

3. Hollaback – the app that shows harassment hotspots in your area

If you’ve ever walked anywhere wearing pretty much anything as a woman, you’ve probably experienced a hefty dose of harassment.

This app lets you do something about it, encouraging you to report problem areas on an interactive map so that other women can see which streets to avoid and get home hassle-free.

4. Where You At – the app that tracks your mates without Wifi

Though GPS locator apps have been a night out staple for years, issues with patchy connectivity and a lack of rural coverage have left older trackers like Find My sorely lacking when it comes to reassuring women who are walking home at night or stranded on their own in Wifi-less clubs. 

Developed by ex-Oxford and Cambridge students, Olivia Leigh and Tamzin Lent, Where You At bypasses the issue of signal completely.

This app allows you to select your circle of friends for the night and track their precise locations irrespective of connection issues.

It’s not launched yet but you can sign up for early access via their website.

5. My Safetipin – the app that works out the safest route home

With a coverage spanning sixteen countries (and counting), My Safetipin is an appstore staple home and away.

It offers up-to-date, user-friendly advice collected from over three million independent audits assessing the safety of nighttime walking routes in major cities around the world. 

Women have it hard enough, we deserve to hit the club and dance for a few hours without feeling like we’re entering into a life-or-death situation.

Besides, clubbing is meant to be a form of release for everyone, be them man, woman, or non-binary.

To all of the entrepreneurs and tech buffs working around the clock to make women’s lives a little easier: we salute you, truly.