Crime up, coalition govt mulls laws on women protection

Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 18

While the state is witnessing increased crimes against women, the government is contemplating bringing in a number of legislations, welfare programmes, schemes and panel provisions to protect the honour and dignity of women.

The minister in charge of the Social Welfare Department said this in a written reply to a question raised by National Conference MLC Shehnaz Ganai in the Legislative Council.

Ganai had sought the status of crime rate against women in the state and implementation of the J&K Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

The minister-in-charge, while admitting that the crime against women in the state had seen a rise, said the government was conscious about bringing gender-responsive social transformation in society, besides legislations.

He said the Social Welfare Department had established a women helpline, WHL-181, to provide immediate and emergency response round the clock to women affected by violence through representative mechanism.

“The government is in the process of establishing nine one-stop centres for women wherein coordinated inter-agency response to violence against women, medical assistance, shelter, legal and police assistance and psychosocial counselling will be provided,” the minister-in-charge said.

For protection against sexual harassment of women at the workplace, the minister-in-charge said the Central government’s Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, was applicable to J&K as well.

For juvenile justice, the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) has been rolled out in the state, besides sanctioning 30 homes under the scheme which includes nine observation homes, 16 children homes, one special home, two shelter homes and two homes for children with special needs.

“For free boarding, lodging, education and healthcare facilities to children, both males and females, the Social Welfare Department has established 24 Bal Ashrams and 12 Nari Niketans across the state in addition to 30 homes under the ICPS,” said the minister-in-charge, adding that though average occupancy of the candidate is 18 years, thrust is given for their early integration with society/families.

However, for the homes under the ICPS, the average occupancy is three years.