The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) has recently announced its plan to establish One Stop Centres (OSCs) across ten countries. This move aims to assist Indian women who have experienced gender-based violence. The nations selected for this expansion include Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, Australia, Canada and Singapore. Domestically, an additional 300 OSCs are planned for installation, supplementing the almost 700 centres currently operating throughout every district in India.
Key Details about One Stop Centres
Introduced in April 2015, the OSC initiative is a centrally sponsored scheme dedicated to addressing violence against women. It falls under the umbrella of the National Mission for Empowerment of Women, which includes programs like the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyaog Yojana. OSCs aim to provide comprehensive assistance to women affected by violence, located domestically and within Indian missions worldwide.
Objectives of One Stop Centres
The key objective of these centres is to provide support for women experiencing violence, whether it takes place in the family, at work, or within their community. The centres offer aid to victims of various forms of abuse, such as sexual, physical, psychological, emotional, or economic, regardless of their caste, creed, race, class, education, age, marital status or culture.
Funding and Auditing of OneStop Centres
The government funds OSCs through the Nirbhaya Fund, and the central government provides full financial assistance to state governments and Union Territories administrations. Instituted in 2013, the Nirbhaya Fund is a non-lapsable corpus fund dedicated to the safety and security of women, administered by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) in the Ministry of Finance. Audits for the centres will be conducted following the Comptroller & Auditor General of India’s norms, and civil society groups will additionally conduct social audits.
Services Provided by One Stop Centres
One Stop Centres offer a variety of services to affected women, including emergency response and rescue, medical assistance, help with lodging a First Information Report (FIR), psychosocial support and counselling, legal aid, shelter and video conferencing facilities.
Indian Legislative Framework to Prevent Violence Against Women
Several legislative measures have been enacted in India to combat violence against women. These include The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013, The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), 2012, Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, and The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.
Additional Initiatives for Women Empowerment
The government has implemented various other initiatives aimed at empowering women, such as the SHe-Box portal, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme, National Creche Scheme, Mahila e-haat, GATI Scheme, and KIRAN Scheme.
