Amidst rise in cases of violence against women, Special Cells in limbo

Srinagar, Mar 24: Four years ago, the National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson, Rekha Sharma announced that women in J&K and Ladakh “need special attention” after meeting victims of domestic and other forms of violence, NGOs and various government functionaries. Consequently, “Special Cells” (SC) were created in 2021, and increased in number a year later.

Two years later, these SC are being shut down, with no word on what will replace the system that promised safeguarding women here.

J&K Minister for Social Welfare, Sakina Itoo on Monday said that a formal request had been sent to NCW for extending the time period of support to SC in J&K. She said NCW had been asked to continue supporting the Cells for one more year. The extension is being sought as a period where the Cells may be transitioned into the J&K’s Social Welfare Department, an official said. He said the Government has not devised a strategy for the transition yet or allocated a funding component if institutionalised, but was expected to create a committee to set-up the framework of these cells when incorporated into the Social Welfare department.

The Cells were funded by NCW, the funding component set to close as the financial year ends over the end of this month. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), between 2021 and 2023, 12000 crimes against women were reported in J&K. This, as per the experts is just ‘tip of the iceberg’ as most of the cases go unreported due to societal practice of victim-blaming and discouraging of raising voice against violence perpetrated by a member of family or an associate.

A delegation of representatives from these cells also called upon Governor LG Sinha to seek his intervention for continued funding and operation of Special Cells. The Cells were established under the Violence-Free Home – A Woman’s Right initiative, implemented by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) with support from the National Commission for Women (NCW).

The SC operated in a police station in each of the districts of J&K, their number standing at 19. None existed in Reasi. The role of these cells was to build a support system for women who faced violence of any kind in their homes or outside through linkages with social workers, legal systems, and members of society. These acted as the buffer system to prevent crimes against women and encourage women to resist and report violations of any kind, offering a more acceptable alternative to reporting to police. As per estimates, nearly 10,000 cases of violence have been reported at these cells over the past four years. The numbers were expected to rise as the awareness about a system that is holistic and victim-centric increased.