{"id":15352,"date":"2022-04-23T07:00:39","date_gmt":"2022-04-23T01:30:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/?post_type=story&p=15352"},"modified":"2025-01-10T14:56:51","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T09:26:51","slug":"electroshoe-to-the-rescue-how-innovator-siddharth-mandalas-device-keeps-women-safe","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/electroshoe-to-the-rescue-how-innovator-siddharth-mandalas-device-keeps-women-safe\/","title":{"rendered":"Electroshoe to the rescue: How innovator Siddharth Mandala’s device keeps women safe"},"content":{"rendered":"

(April 23, 2022)<\/strong> He was 12 when the infamous Nirbhaya rape case shook the nation in 2012. People took to the streets asking for justice, and his mom was one among them. Curious about the protests and confused about the word rape, Siddharth Mandala joined his mom for one of the protests. \u201cA 40-year-old woman came up to me, and told me not to be like rapists. I didn\u2019t even know what rape meant back then. This was a catalyst for me. I ended up surfing the internet, asking my friends and teachers to get a grasp on this concept called rape. Understanding the gravity of the issue, I decided to do everything in my capacity to prevent sexual assault,\u201d Siddharth tells Global Indian<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

This awareness led to the birth of Electroshoe, a small badge that can be clipped onto any footwear, or worn as a ring or pendant and can be easily activated during any threatening situation by pressing. \u201cIt pulls out two sharp pointers, mimicking stun gun\u2019s mechanism, and pierces through clothing, and even skin to electrocute the attacker,\u201d explains Siddharth who took two years to build a working prototype; and another three years to create a market-friendly product by interviewing over 500 women across India and California.<\/p>\n

\"Innovator