Organisation : Ministry of Women and Child Development
Scheme Name : Women Helpline Scheme
Applicable States/ UTs : All Over India
Home Page : http://wcd.nic.in/
Details Here : https://www.statusin.in/uploads/37066-WHL.pdf
WCD Women Helpline Scheme
The detailed description of Women Helpline Scheme are mentioned below,
Related : WCD Swadhar Greh Scheme : www.statusin.in/37055.html
The Scheme of Universalisation of Women Helpline is intended to provide 24 hours immediate and emergency response to women affected by violence through referral (linking with appropriate authority such as police, One Stop Centre, hospital) and information about women related government schemes programs across the country through a single uniform number.
Women Helpline (WHL) will be integrated with One Stop Centre Scheme (OSC) under which one OSC shall be established in every State/UT to provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence, both in private and public spaces under one roof.
Women affected by violence and in need of redressal services will be referred to OSC through WHL. Under the WHL Scheme, the States/UTs will utilise or augment their existing women helplines through a dedicated single national number.
Department of Telecommunication, Government of India has allocated short code 181 to all States/UTs which is being used by some States/UTs such as Delhi, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh as Women Helpline. Under this Scheme, States/UTs need to adopt this short code 181 as Women Helpline (WHL).
It is envisaged that this number would be compatible with all the existing telecommunication channels whether providing post/pre paid mobile or landline services through any public or private network i.e. GSM, CDMA, 3G, 4G etc.
All the state/ district/ city level helplines whether private or public would be integrated with this women helpline.
Purpose Of The Implementation Guidelines
These Guidelines have been developed to support all stakeholders/agencies who would be involved in implementing the Scheme.
These are also intended to serve as an effective reference manual for officials at the National and State/ Union Territory (UT) levels for policy guidance and monitoring.
The Guidelines narrate the services to be provided under the Scheme as well as steps in implementation. It also lays down monitoring and reporting formats to be used at different levels.
The Guidelines are not exhaustive and the feedback received from States/UTs from time to time will be incorporated as per requirements.
Objectives
The objectives of the Scheme are :
** To provide toll-free 24-hours telecom service to women affected by violence seeking support and information.
** To facilitate crisis and non-crisis intervention through referral to the appropriate agencies such as police/Hospitals/Ambulance services/District Legal Service Authority (DLSA)/Protection Officer (PO)/OSC.
** To provide information about the appropriate support services, government schemes and programmes available to the woman affected by violence, in her particular situation within the local area in which she resides or is employed.
Target Group
Any woman or girl facing violence within public or private sphere of life or seeking information about women related programmes or schemes.
Accessing Women Helpline
1.1 The Women Helpline will be accessible 24 hours a day 7 days a week to any woman or girl suffering violence or in distress in the following manner :
** Telephone – landlines, mobile phones through calls, SMS/text messaging, mobile apps and fax messages;
** Internet – emails, web-posts, web-interface, social networking sites i.e. web page, facebook, twitter, mygov etc;
1.2 WHL will be sensitive to the needs of persons who are hearing and speech impaired or people with disability. It will have provision to locate/ trace the number from which a call has been received.
In case woman has been interrupted during her call or is unable to specify her problem or her address due to being sick/disabled then the same would be traced and within minutes WHL will facilitate an emergency response through nearest police station/ hospital or OSC.