Maharashtra: State Women’s Commission Receives 1,766 Complaints In 6 Months

Rupali Chakankar, chairperson of the State Women Commission, had introduced the shorter helpline number in February. She attributed the rise in number of complaints as minor issues between married couples are now being reported on a large scale.

Maharashtra: State Women’s Commission Receives 1,766 Complaints In 6 Months
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After the State Women’s Commission converted its 10-digit helpline number into six in February, 2022, it has come to light that there has been a surge in the number of calls they have started receiving since then.

With this, the commission said that their motive to reach women across the state is fulfilling steadily.

The commission’s data since February 2022, shows that while the six-digit number has recorded over 1,766 calls, the 10-digit number had received only 680 calls during the same period last year, 2021.

It further stated that women felt comfortable to call the commission from seeking advice to find solace and solutions about husband refusing to take wife on a vacation, shopping and dinner date, frowning upon in-laws not allowing daughter-in-law to watch soap operas, to reporting serious marital disputes and sexual harassment.

As per them, the number was changed to six-digit so that women can find it easier to remember it and dial for help. Women, especially in the rural areas, are able to memorise it and dial it much more easily than the earlier number.

Rupali Chakankar, chairperson of the State Women Commission, had introduced the shorter helpline number 155209 in February.

She attributed the rise in number of complaints as the minor issues between married couples are now being reported on a larger scale.

Explaining further, Chakankar shared that the maximum complaints received by the helpline include marital disputes along with serious harassment and abuse complaints. In addition, complaints of women who are being denied their basic rights like using a mobile phone have also been registered.

Out of the 7,278 complaints registered by women since October 2021 till June 2022, over 2,887 complaints were about marital disputes. Out of these 2,417 were addressed and 470 were forwarded to the police. There are also 1,914 complaints of social harassment to women where 1,725 were addressed and 189 were converted to FIRs along with 47 workplace sexual harassment cases of which 25 cases were addressed and 22 were converted in FIRs.

After observing that the complaints on their helpline have increased, the commission is implementing the initiative for women to get justice in their respective districts as well.

It is not possible for women from rural areas to visit the Mumbai office to lodge a complaint or to attend the hearing in person due to financial and other reasons, hence Chakankar decided to implement the ‘Mahila Aayog Aaplya Dari’ (Women Commission at Your Doorstep).

Through this initiative, issues of women will be addressed near their residences like Pune, and other districts where women from rural areas can go instead of travelling to Mumbai to lodge a complaint or for getting issues addressed.

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