One Stop Center Scheme:- The “One Stop Centre” initiative was introduced in India in 2015 with the goal of providing assistance to women who have experienced violence. The Ministry of Women and Child Development oversaw its inception. The program seeks to offer a comprehensive suite of services. This means accommodation, counseling, and medical care for battered women should all be provided under one roof. Women who have experienced violence and are at least 18 years old can get the services for free.
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Recent Updates on the One-Stop Center Scheme
- The government of India’s Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) has declared that, in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs, they will be implementing the One Stop Centre initiative by setting up OSCs in ten different nations.
- Australia, Canada, Singapore, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia are to establish the first OSCs.
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What is the One Stop Center Scheme?
Women who experience abuse in public or private settings, as well as in their homes, communities, or workplaces, are supposed to receive support from One Stop Centres (OSCs). These centers provide services to women who have experienced physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, or financial abuse, irrespective of their age, class, caste, education level, marital status, race, or culture. The purpose of OSCs is to offer assistance and remedies to women who have experienced different types of violence, such as attempted sexual harassment, sexual assault, trafficking, crimes related to honor, acid attacks, or witch-hunting. Women seeking specialized aid can avail themselves of these services, provided they have been referred or have sought assistance from OSCs.
Background and Evolution of One Stop Center Scheme
- The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) introduced OSCS in 2015. Included in the National Mission for Empowerment of Women (NMEW) was the introduction of this.
- The program intends to give women who have experienced violence a single-window platform. They can get a variety of services here, such as medical attention, legal assistance, and rehabilitation services.
- The Nirbhaya Fund came before the OSCS proposal. In 2013, the Nirbhaya Fund was established following the murder and sexual assault of a young woman in Delhi by a gang.
- The Nirbhaya Fund has provided funding for a number of initiatives aimed at addressing and ending violence against women, including the OSCS program.
- Every district in India has adopted the OSCS program.
- A group of specialists, including physicians, lawyers, and counselors, work at the centers.
Objectives of the Sakhi One-Stop Center Scheme
- The OSC program aims to support women who have experienced violence.
- Regardless of class, age, caste, marital status, education level, culture, or race, any woman or girl experiencing sexual, physical, psychological, emotional, or financial abuse will be provided with support and remedy.
- In an effort to combat all types of violence against women, it seeks to expedite access to several services, both emergency and non-emergency, such as legal, medical, advisory, and psychological support, all under one roof.
- In addition to honor-based offenses, trafficking, acid attacks, attempted sexual assault, sexual harassment, domestic abuse, and trafficking, women who have called or been referred to the OSC and are in distress will be provided with specialized services.
Need for Sakhi One Stop Center Scheme
- Gender-based violence is a worldwide health, human rights, and development issue that affects every community and nation on the planet, transcending boundaries of geography, class, culture, age, race, and religion.
- Inequalities in social life, particularly during times of displacement and communal events, are the primary cause of violence in India.
- The government has devised a centrally funded plan to establish a One Stop center in order to address this kind of violence and assist women who are in need.
- Regardless of caste, class, religion, area, sexual orientation, or marital status, the OSC will support any woman experiencing assault, including girls under the age of 18.
- Establishments and authorities pertaining to girls under the age of eighteen that were formed under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, will be connected to the OSC.
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Services provided under the One Stop Center Scheme
- Emergency aid and rescue services: The centers will provide women experiencing violence with referrals and rescue services. Police vans and 108 services are available to rescue the affected woman from the scene or direct her to the nearest medical facility.
- Medical assistance: Women who have experienced violence will be referred to the nearest medical facility for a medical evaluation in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- Legal support and counseling: The OSCs collaborate with impaneled solicitors and national, district, and state legal service agencies to provide women who have experienced violence with justice. A woman will have access to legal representation if she wishes to assist the State Prosecutors in her case. The woman’s legal actions and her right to be excused from court appearances will be facilitated by the attorney. The prosecution must, to the greatest extent feasible, finish the trial in rape attempt instances within two months of the charge sheet’s filing date.
- Professional Counselling: A licensed counselor will be on call to provide counseling services. Women will feel more confident after the operation and be more equipped to pursue justice for the violence.
- Shelter: The OSC will provide women in need with a short-term haven. Short Stay Homes or Swadhar Greh will make arrangements for long-term care needs. The institution offers temporary sanctuary to women who have experienced violence against their children for a maximum of five days.
- Video conferencing capability: To facilitate seamless procedures, the center will have a video conferencing capability. The angry woman has the option to record her statement on voice or video.
Eligibility for One Stop Center Scheme
Regardless of their caste, creed, marital status, religion, or sexual orientation, women of all ages who are at risk of violence can receive support through the One-Stop Centre Scheme. In the event of unfavorable circumstances, people of all ages can utilize this plan and take advantage of its support services.
Benefits of the One-Stop Center Scheme
The One Stop Centre Scheme is an excellent resource for women who have experienced violence. Affected individuals gain from the program in the following ways.
- If a disturbed lady registers the problem on her own, she can easily access this system. She can, however, send someone else in her place, and the victim’s needs will always come first.
- The OSC may provide affected women and their children with temporary refuge for up to five days. Girls up to the age of eight are permitted to remain at OSC with their mothers, while males are not.
- The impacted women will receive basic necessities including food, medication, clothing, and other necessities like shampoo, soap, and sanitary napkins.
Accessing OSCs
The OSC offers help to women who are victims of violence through the following channels:
- by herself.
- via anybody—a concerned citizen, an employee of the government, a family member, a friend, an NGO, or a volunteer, for example.
- through the Women Helpline, a resource that links emergency services including the police and ambulance.
Following the registration of a complaint, the appropriate district authorities—including the DPO, PO, CDPO, SHO, DM, SP, DYSP, CMO, or PO—will receive a text message (SMS/Internet) if necessary.
The OSC creates a Unique ID Number and documents case information in a predefined format when a woman seeking assistance feels mistreated or when someone acting on her behalf approaches the OSC.
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Other Government Initiatives for the Empowerment of Women
Some government initiatives to empower women include the following ones:
- Scheme for Universalization of Women Helpline: The Nirbhaya Fund is in charge of this initiative. It offers women in need a round-the-clock emergency helpline at number 181. It puts them in contact with the courts, police, hospitals, and counseling agencies.
- The Swadhar Greh Scheme gives women in challenging situations institutional help so they can live respectably. It provides food, housing, therapy, and training.
- The goal of the Ujjawala Scheme is to stop the trafficking of women and girls. It offers assistance to victims of commercial sexual exploitation in the form of rescue, rehabilitation, and reintegration.
- Working Women Hostel Programme: This program offers working women reasonably priced hostel lodging. Additionally, it offers creche services to kids in both urban and rural locations.
- The goal of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme is to correct the unbalanced child-to-sex ratio. It gives girls more authority and guarantees their survival and education.
- Mahila Shakti Kendra project: By bringing together several women’s programs and encouraging community involvement, this project gives rural women more authority. Both states and UTs use it.
- Pradhan Matru Mantri The Vandana Yojana: Pregnant and nursing moms can get Rs. 5000 in three installments under this conditional cash transfer system, which helps to partially offset wage loss.
One Stop Center Scheme – FAQs
Q. Who established the One Stop Centre?
Ans- The One Stop Centre initiative is the brainchild of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD).
Q. What does One Stop Centre aim to achieve?
Ans- One Stop Centre provides a range of integrated services, such as police facilitation, medical aid, legal support and counseling, psycho-social counseling, and temporary lodging, to women who are victims of abuse or hardship under one roof.
Q. What kind of services does a one-stop center offer?
Ans- Critical medical services offered by One Stop Centre include emergency contraception, clinical management of rape, care for abortions, treatment for HIV and other STDs, and hepatitis B.
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