Be it putting a woman a fire or Acid-attack,
it is a worst form of violence. It brings deformity killing ones identity.
There are also other numerous ways of torturing women like sexual assault,
domestic violence, trafficking and so on.
In order to deal
with the situation of violence, women require support at various levels that
address their multiple needs. Recognizing this, we would like to introduce the
concept of One Stop Crisis Center (OSCC) s. This would serve as
an integrated facility where the various needs of victims of violence, such as
medical aid, legal assistance, assistance in filing a police case, counseling
and emotional support, temporary shelter for herself and her children and basic
necessities for the period of stay can be met, at a single place. Since in this
part of India, Public Health System (where a victim has to visit for her
immediate needs) is too overburdened, and mostly police and other stake holders
are not enough sensitized, there is need of this type of One Stop Crisis Center
for women who have faced any help to tackle the violence they faced. Under
Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA),’05, Public Sector
Hospitals are Service Providers (SP). But in reality, the hospital authorities
do not feel the need of understanding the medico-legal necessities. In One Stop
Crisis Center, she will find all the help in violence free, empathetic and
friendly environment. Society lacks awareness. Doctors treat patients, but do
not take enough care to deal with the evidence part of the ‘cases’. Lawyers do
not find merit in such cases without ‘evidences’. Women in distress have to run
from pillars to posts often without positive results. This center can be one of
its kinds, as this will truly create a violence free world for women. WHO has
already declared Sexual Assault as a Public Health Issue.
Both the
Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD) and Ministry of Health &
Family Welfare (MoHFW) have brought some plans / strategies / protocols /
guidelines along with WHO, to deal with cases of Gender Violence / Violence
Against Women (VAW)/ Sexual Assault /Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). CEDAW alternate Report, July, 2014 also states
the importance of OSCCs.
To bring
relief to pain medico-legally, there has to be at least one OSCC in Kolkata. A
very famous Bengali newspaper, Ananda Bazar Patrika, has already published news regarding this way back in
2013. We also have plan to introduce training and campaigning for combining
health and legal matters together in respect of violence and women.
