The app, called Safeup, is based on a network of local communities of women, the operators said in a statement.

The system of nearby guardians can “assist where necessary via telephone, video, or by personal accompaniment,” it said.

Women can use the app any time they feel threatened or unsafe.

The app will significantly shorten response times and assist women, even in cases where there is no need for police intervention, according to the statement released on Sunday by the Tel Aviv Yafo municipality.

Users can choose from three options, from calling another member in situations where they feel uncomfortable, to connecting with three other women within a 500-metre radius if they are in danger, or sharing their location with a particular contact.

Similar apps have been created in other countries, from WayGuard in Germany to Safecity, launched in India.

Founder Neta Schreiber called on women to join the guardian community to enable woman “to feel safe in every place: to walk down a dark alleyway without fear, to go on a date without anxiety and a rescue plan, to go dancing in a nightclub, or even to simply go on a walk late at night”.