GS PAPER II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

Context: Over 3 Lakh Women Provided Assistance Through 701 One Stop Centres in 35 States/UTs

Need:

• Gender Based Violence (GBV) is a global health, human rights and development issue that transcends geography, class, culture, age, race and religion to affect every community and country in every corner of the world.
• The Article 1 of UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence 1993 provides a definition of gender - based abuse, calling it "any act of gender - based violence that results in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.
• In India, gender based violence is prevalent in forms of domestic and sexual including rape, to harmful practices such as, dowry, honour killings, acid attacks, witch - hunting, sexual harassment, child sexual abuse, trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation, child marriage, sex selective abortion, sati etc.

About One Stop Centre Scheme (OSCs)

• Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), has formulated a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for setting up One Stop Centre, a sub - scheme of Umbrella Scheme for National Mission for Empowerment of women including Indira Gandhi Mattritav Sahyaog Yojana.
• Popularly known as Sakhi, the scheme is being implemented since 1st April 2015.
• These Centres are being established across the country to provide integrated support and assistance under one roof to women affected by violence, both in private and public spaces in phased manner.

Objective

• To support women affected by violence, in private and public spaces, within the family, community and at the workplace.
• To facilitate immediate, emergency and non - emergency access to a range of services including medical, legal, psychological and counselling support under one roof to fight against any forms of violence against women.

Target group

• All women including girls below 18 years of age affected by violence, irrespective of caste, class, religion, region, sexual orientation or marital status.

Services offered in OSCs

• Emergency Response and Rescue Services
• Medical assistance
• Psycho - social support/ counselling
• Legal aid and counselling
• Shelter (Swadhar Greh/Short Stay Homes)
• Video Conferencing Facility
• Accessing One Stop Centre

Implementing Agency: State Government/ UT Administration.

Funds:

• The Scheme will be funded through Nirbhaya Fund .
• The Central Government will provide 100% financial assistance to the State Government /UT Administrations under the Scheme.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1720843

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