Nirbhaya Fund Helped Set up 854 One-stop Centres for Women Across India: WCD minister
New Delhi: Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi on Saturday said 854 one-stop centers for women have been set up across India with the help of Nirbhaya Fund to provide shelter, counselling, medical aid and legal aid to victims of violence. Devi was speaking at the two-day National Annual Stakeholder Consultation on ‘Protecting the Girl Child: Towards a Safer and Enabling Environment for Her in India’ organized by the Juvenile Justice Committee of the Supreme Court in collaboration with UNICEF India.
The fact that the event coincided with International Day of the Girl Child made the discussion “particularly meaningful”, the minister said. Last year, 56 percent of children legally adopted in India were girls, reflecting a shift in social attitudes, Devi said.
“Girls are no longer seen as a burden but as a beacon of hope,” she said.
The minister also talked about women’s helpline 181, women’s help desks in police stations, working women’s hostels and initiatives such as Shakti Sadhan and their role in strengthening women’s safety and independence.
“This is not just a policy debate, it is a living example of the future of our nation, our social consciousness and ethical responsibility,” he said while addressing a gathering that included Chief Justice of India BR Gavai.
Devi said “women power” lies at the core of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed India by 2047 and the government’s integrated approach through Mission Shakti, Mission Vatsalya and Mission Poshan 2.0 aims to improve women’s safety, empowerment and self-reliance.
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has adopted a lifecycle approach for the safety and empowerment of girls. Women’s empowerment is a top priority in every scheme of our government,” he said.
He added that the government aims to create a strong future for women by providing them with digital and financial literacy, self-defense training and life skills training.
Underlining the zero tolerance policy towards child abuse, Devi said laws such as the Juvenile Justice Act, Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, Prohibition of Child Marriage Act and Right to Education Act create a strong legal safety net for children.
But he warned that the nature of the threats facing children was changing, with cyberbullying, online self-care and digital commerce posing new challenges.
“The government is implementing school-based awareness programs that include mental health and psychosocial support so that every child is not only safe but also mentally strong,” he said.
“We must work together to make respect for girls not just a policy but also a culture,” the minister said.
Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF’s representative in India, praised the country’s progress in child protection and noted that the establishment of juvenile justice boards, child welfare committees and special POCSO courts were tangible progress.
“Flagship programs like Mission Vatsalya, Mission Shakti and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao have laid the foundations that can be scaled,” he said.
From adolescent clubs in Madhya Pradesh to Bharosa centers in Telangana to advocacy groups in Odisha and Rajasthan, McCaffrey highlighted successful community-level interventions that have “helped delay child marriage and empower young girls.”
But he also underlined the need for continued investment in prevention, education and victim-centered care, noting that one in four girls in India still gets married before the age of 18.
“Every child should have access to urgent, sensitive, medical, psychosocial and legal support. Justice should be swift and dignified,” he said, calling for collective action among institutions and states.
