Centre announces crisis centres for women victims of violence

Union Ministry of Women and Child Development on Thursday announced setting up of dedicated centres catering to women victims of violence across 100 districts in the country.

"The 'One Stop Crisis Centre for Women' (OSCCW), aimed at helping the women victims of domestic and other forms of violence, to be located at hospitals, will have a senior doctor as coordinator and comprise a counsellor, police officer, lawyer, on-duty doctor and support staff like nurses, helpers," Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development Krishna Tirath said.

The OSCCWs will be made operational from the next financial year, she said.

Replying to a query, Tirath said the anti-rape ordinance, recently given assent by President Pranab Mukherjee, incorporates major suggestions made by Justice Verma panel, and will be discussed in the Budget session of Parliament.

Tirath was speaking on the sidelines of a regional consultation on National Plan of Action for improving Child Sex Ratio.

"The ministry is also in the process of initiating a mass movement through 'ahimsa (non-violence) messengers to spread awareness against domestic violence, dowry, female foeticide, child marriage, trafficking of women and girls," Tirath said.

The 'Ahimsa Messengers' would be anganwadi workers, Panchayat Raj members among others, she added.

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