Tamilnadu State Commission for Women launched Helpline to help affected Women
Currently crimes against women are on the rise during the lockdown and to tackle this, the tamilnadu State Commission for women has issued helpline numbers to provide counselling and legal help to affected women. The Commission has assigned representatives and issued phone numbers of counsellors across all districts in the state. On the day the helpline was launched, the Commission received 394 calls from across districts.
Speaking to TNM, tamilnadu State Commission for women Chairperson Dr Kannegi Packianathan said, “Our representatives received 394 calls in total yesterday. We received calls from women seeking counselling on issues including domestic violence. In certain cases, the women had called to get information on getting movement passes.” For cases that are sensitive or involve domestic violence, Kannegi said, “We talk to them in detail about their problems and counsel them in the first place. If their husbands are cooperative, we give counselling to them as well. We try to solve the problem then and there, without letting the problem grow.”
One-stop centres provide support and assistance for women affected by physical, sexual and emotional issues.For many women, the lockdown has exacerbated their situation as they are forced to stay home with the abusers. According to members of women’s rights activists, the government needs to take efforts to publicise the helpline numbers that it has set up.