By Ariel Grossman, NoCamels -
A new app has created a virtual sisterhood for thousands of women across Israel, giving them a safe space to share their experiences, their problems and even just their thoughts – particularly in wartime.
The Soli app allows users to anonymously express their state of mind and their feelings, called Moods on the app, ranging from common emotions like happy, stressed or lonely to more specific sentiments such as “in the mood for a night out,” “looking for new friends” and “in need of advice.”
Opening the app takes the user to a map, where they see other users and their Moods, and can engage with them in a public or private conversation.
“We created Soli to give women a safe space to share everything they’re feeling, and to get validation and immediate support from other women,” creator Neta Schreiber Gamliel tells NoCamels.
Since the war with Hamas in Gaza erupted after the terror group carried out a massive, deadly attack in southern Israel on October 7, the app has added new Moods such as “I need help” and “ready to host an evacuated family.”
Despite only being launched in the summer, the app had more than 10,000 users in October alone, Schreiber Gamliel says.
Most of the women are in search of support during the war, she says, including many worried about loved ones who have been called up as military reservists to fight Hamas.
Others are seeking solace after friends and relatives were murdered or kidnapped by the terror group on October 7.
According to Schreiber Gamliel, many of the app’s users feel guilty for experiencing anxiety or grief as they were not directly impacted by the attack that claimed 1,200 lives, left thousands of others wounded and saw 240 people abducted into Gaza.
“At Soli, we really believe that there are no small problems, and we gave them the legitimacy to share,” she says.
In fact, so many women on the app shared their experiences that Schreiber Gamliel plans to launch a new project called “Nashim Mesaprot” (women tell), to upload these stories in both written and spoken form onto Soli’s accompanying website.
According to Schreiber Gamliel, the women writing about their experiences are not doing so for validation or attention but simply to feel supported.
“There are amazing women around them who are there to respond and make them feel better,” she says.
The idea for the app came several years ago, after Schreiber Gamliel and a friend saved someone close to them from being raped at a house party.
The experience helped her realize that women are powerful when they unite, and she sought a way for them to be able to support and empower one another anytime and anywhere.
“Women are dealing with many experiences alone, even though there are others who have already endured something similar and understand exactly what they’re going through,” she tells NoCamels.
The app’s AI platform can track whether a user spends more time sharing or commenting, as well as which Moods she usually responds to, in order to connect her to other women who may have faced similar challenges.
And if a user feels that she needs immediate assistance, Schreiber Gamliel explains that there are hundreds of women on the app who have undergone special Soli training for issues such as mental health or personal safety.
With the click of a button at the top of the app’s screen, the user is connected to the nearest trained person within 30 seconds, either through direct messaging or video chat. The app will only seek aid from the trained users in the same immediate environment.
The training program that Soli uses is also accessed through the app, and was created in collaboration with the Toda’a organization, which raises awareness of sexual abuse in Israel and the dangers faced by women in prostitution.
There’s nothing quite like Soli, in terms of the range and depth of support, Schreiber Gamliel says.
The closest comparison, she believes, would be a local women’s Facebook group or another app that connects individuals who are struggling with their mental health.
But, she claims, unlike other forums Soli is not motivated by anything other than the desire to help.
“Most social media platforms don’t care about their audience – they care about making you stay as long as you can so they can make money,” says Schreiber Gamliel
“What we care about – and try to do – is add value to your life.”
