When the world is going through the crisis of COVID-19 and consequent lockdown, the Union Government and its machinery are taking extra care to alleviate the sufferings of various sections of society including  women and children.  Union Women and Child Development Minister Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in her recent  interaction with the institutions  associated with the Ministry,  had urged that the activists should establish connect to send message of solidarity with the  distressed women and children. 

The Gender rights activists have always called for the need to boost help lines so that women in distress have easy access for redressal. Accordingly the Union and State governments have put in place a dedicated helpline 181 for addressing all the complaints of women as a one stop centre.  The women and children are forced to stay indoors and hence the incidents of abuse also have gone up.  The National Commission for Women (NCW)  too  has taken note of this sudden rise in Domestic violence in the first week of lock down and have ordered the law implementing stories to redress them immediately . Alternatively, in April 2020,  the NCW had also launched a special whatsapp alert helpline 7217735372 through which anyone can report the incidents of domestic violence immediately .  As per the NCW website, the total complaints received in this financial year are 5187 and from Tamil Nadu, 35 complaints have been registered under Protection of women against Domestic Violence act.

Thiru M. Ravi IPS Additional Director General of Police who heads the special wing for crimes against women while giving the feedback to Field Outreach Bureau, Coimbatore said the state police department is serving the people round the Clock 24x7 and complaints from women are immediately responded.

In Coimbatore, the District administration, Social welfare department and Police Department are  working together for providing  necessary assistance to women in distress. District Collector Thiru.  Rajamani  said  the help line number 181 has  emerged as a One Stop Centre (OSC) for women in distress. It is ensured that a woman  need not reach out to multiple sources to get assistance as they were doing earlier.  Victims of Violence are  provided shelter along with legal medical assistance and Counselling. Women are approaching the social welfare department for counselling and all the details of the women will be kept confidentially.

Dr A. Alagarsamy appreciated the initiatives of Ministry of Women and Child Development and the role played by NCW  in taking up the cases of women injustice proactively.

Advocate Harish Kumar from Coimbatore appreciated NCW and said it is a great initiative to open a whatsapp helpline against Gender abuse and domestic violence . The whatsapp  helpline number by NCW 7217735372 need to be given wide publicity, he added.  He requested all the Educational institutions and social welfare organizations should popularise both 181 and whatsapp numbers so that women in distress utilize these effectively and get their complaints redressed.

District Collector Tr.Rajamani reviewing the status of complaints

 

ADGP Thiru. Ravi  says complaints from women are immediately responded

 

Advocate Harishkumar welcomed the  NCW  whatsup initiative

Counselling session in progress

 

 

 

Logo of 181

 

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