PANAJI
As many as 1,247 women have sought assistance from two one-stop centres regarding domestic abuse as well as other emergency and non-emergency services from January 1, 2019, to June 1, 2021.
The two 'one-stop' centres have been set up under a centrally sponsored scheme Sakhi Kendra Yojana of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
One centre is located at Junta quarters in Borda-Margao and managed by Bailancho Ekvott, while the North Goa centre is located at the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour at Bambolim and is managed by the NGO, Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) India.
The centres provide support to women in distress by way of emergency and non-emergency access on a range of medical, legal, psychological and counselling services.
The North Goa centre had received 337 grievances in 2019, while the number of grievances registered a minor drop (305) in 2020 and this year, there have been 70 complaints since January.
On the other hand, the South Goa centre received 116 complaints in 2019 and the number shot up to 337 grievances in 2020.
Auda Viegas of the Bailancho Ekvott has said cases against women have been on the rise.
“Domestic violence cases are the ones we receive the most, while other cases pertain to kidnap and rape. Now, cases pertaining to viral videos are also on the rise. Online predators are also targetting vulnerable girls,” said Viegas.
“We provide all possible assistance to women, ranging from medical to legal help,' she added.
