Women approach rescue centre in steady numbers

The well-equipped Nirbhaya Kendra-Sakhi One Stop Centre in Majestic offers everything from temporary accommodation to legal help

Nirbhaya Kendra-Sakhi One Stop, a centre set up by the government to help women in distress, has received 85 cases since it opened in February.

It is an initiative under the Bengaluru Safe City project backed by the state government, and works from the second floor of the BMTC building attached to the Kempegowda Bus Terminal.

A majority of cases are related to violence against married women. Most are in the age group of 30-35 and come from lower-
income households.

“Most often, the women coming here aren’t looking for a shelter or assistance to get a divorce. They want us to educate their spouse and family about the legal consequences of domestic violence and instil fear in them not to repeat this,” says Kavitha B E, a social worker at the centre, which runs 24/7 and has an
administrator, social worker, legal aid, staff nurse, counsellor, and a female police constable and sub-inspector to assist the distressed.

The centre provides medical examination, and helps with videographing of statements and remote recording of survivors’ evidence to submit to court. It also provides free legal aid.

Among teenage cases, the centre has counselled a girl’s family which was forcing her to marry, and a mother who wanted to abandon her alcohol-addicted daughter.

“Since Majestic is well-connected, women find it easier to travel and seek assistance,” says Kavitha.

Once the victim arrives at the centre, she is met by a counsellor and social worker. “After having a chat with them and discussing what steps they want to take, we straightaway call their families to the centre. We conduct either couple or family counselling,” says Kavitha.

Usually, after the counselling, women return home with the confidence that the centre is just a call away. “We also conduct scheduled and surprise counselling later,” she explains.

Women are free to seek shelter at the centre for five days, after which they are shifted to long-term shelters across the city.

How the women’s commission is helping

Karnataka has the most domestic violence cases in India. A whopping 44% of married women said they had faced domestic violence, according to a national survey.

The National Family Health Survey 2019-2021 was conducted in 6.37 lakh sample households across 28 states and eight union territories, covering 7.24 lakh women and 1.01 lakh men.

Bengaluru accounts for more than 67.35% of all domestic violence cases in Karnataka.

Between March 2020 and March 2022, the Karnataka State Commission for Women received 1,072 domestic violence complaints, of which, 722 were from Bengaluru.

“The cases shot up during the first wave of the pandemic but came down later. We still constantly get calls,” says Pramila Naidu, chairperson of the commission.

Women in Karnataka are largely educated and aware of their rights. But some are not educated and lack financial independence, and they tend to compromise a lot, she told Metrolife.

Divorce is still considered taboo, and so women endure violence. “They wouldn’t tolerate violence if they had a steady system backing them. This is the system we’re trying to build,” she says.

Pramila often takes part in counselling sessions conducted by the commission. On average, it takes up to four to five sessions to resolve a case.

“While women are mostly modern, many men are stuck in an old mentality and cannot accept a ‘no’ from a woman. They need to be educated and it takes time,” she says.

Call for help

Nirbhaya Kendra-Sakhi One Stop: 2653 8977

Women’s helpline: 181