The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has decided to integrate its 181 women’s helpline with Mahila Panchayat and Mobile Helpline programmes in a bid to improve the efficiency.
“Till now 181 helpline has been working merely as a referral helpline that is, since it does not have a grassroot presence, it mostly forwarded complaints to police with no alternative means of providing support to the victim.
“For instance, if the victim calls on 181 to report that police have not registered an FIR, the Helpline has no option but to tell her to continue dealing with police. In order to improve this situation, it has thus been decided that now 181 helpline will be integrated with DCW’s Mahila Panchayat as well as Mobile Helpline Programme,” said DCW chief Swati Maliwal.
Mahila Panchayat is an innovative collective approach for community participation in dispute redressal and to offer crisis intervention and legal aid at community level to help tackle marital disputes and violence against women.
The 24-hour Mobile Helpline provides immediate relief to women in distress. The Helpline counsellor either counsels the people involved in the incident or provides help in registering an FIR or acquire medical assistance for the woman in distress. If required, the victim is rescued and often provided temporary shelter.
“As an undertaking of the Mahila Panchayat Programme, an NGO in each Assembly seat will be linked with the Commission, which shall have 3-4 personnel working at the grassroot level on the issues faced by women everyday, including domestic violence, police inaction etc.
Complaints received by 181 helpline shall be forwarded to Mahila Panchayat whenever a need arises,” Maliwal explained.