Enhancements in Women's Safety in India Through Legal Frameworks and Support Systems

Synopsis

On March 29, the Ministry of Women and Child Development highlighted the government's significant efforts in enhancing women's safety through legal measures, financial support, and various assistance services, including the Nirbhaya Fund and women's helplines.

Key Takeaways

Government initiatives improve women's safety.
Implementation of the Nirbhaya Fund.
Support services include helplines and OSCs.
Focus on mental health for victims of gender-based violence.
New laws enacted for women's protection.

New Delhi, March 29 (NationPress) The Ministry of Women and Child Development announced on Saturday that the government has achieved significant progress in ensuring the safety and security of women across the country through various legal frameworks, financial support, and assistance services.

This progress includes the Nirbhaya Fund, a dedicated women's helpline (181), one-stop centers (OSCs), an emergency response support system (ERSS -112), SHe-Box, and women help desks that offer legal, medical, and psychological support to women.

“A comprehensive strategy that combines law enforcement, helplines, rehabilitation, and mental health services is essential for fostering a safer and more empowering atmosphere for women,” stated the Ministry.

The Ministry highlighted that Rs 7,712.85 crore has been allocated under the Nirbhaya Fund for the fiscal year 2024-25, with Rs 5,846.08 crore already utilized, amounting to nearly 76 percent.

This fund supports various initiatives and projects including OSCs, ERSS, women helpline, fast track special courts (FTSCs), anti-human trafficking units (AHTUs), women help desks, cyber forensic training labs, safe city projects, and Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF) to bolster women's safety and security.

Additionally, the government also addresses women's mental health, particularly those affected by domestic and gender-based violence.

“Violence, particularly domestic and intimate partner violence, can lead to depression, anxiety, PTSD, panic disorders, and increased suicide risk,” the Ministry emphasized.

“There is an imperative for these services to be attuned to the psychological needs of women experiencing violence and to deliver culturally sensitive and effective interventions that are context-specific,” it added.

Project Stree Manoraksha by NIMHANS offers trauma-informed care at OSCs. It aims to train counsellors and staff including caseworkers, administrators, paralegal and paramedical staff, and security personnel.

“This initiative ensures that women encountering gender-based violence receive compassionate, evidence-based mental health care and counselling when seeking assistance at OSCs,” the Ministry stated.

Furthermore, the government has enacted several critical laws to protect women's physical and mental security. These include the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013.