One Stop Centre (Sakhi)

The centres are intended to help women who have faced abuse in both private and public places, including the workplace, the community, and at home.

Benefits/Features of One Stop Centre (Sakhi)

As per the Ministry of Women and Child Development, women in distress will have access to all of the following services under the One Stop Centres (OSC) scheme:

While the One Stop Centre (Sakhi) provides immediate support through medical care, legal assistance, counselling, and temporary shelter, rebuilding financial stability is also an important step towards long-term independence. As women move forward and achieve financial stability, understanding Life Insurance can help them plan for their family's future and long-term financial security.

According to Mission Shakti, MWCD, the OSCs are being upgraded and expanded to connect women facing mental distress with institutional or empanelled psychosocial and legal counsellors. According to PIB Delhi, OSCs have been established at each district level with additional centres being set up in areas reporting a higher incidence of crimes against women, covering larger geographical areas, with higher populations, or identified as aspirational districts.

Policies of One Stop Centre (Sakhi)

As per PIB Delhi, OSC is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under which the entire funding (100%) of the States and Union Territories is provided by the Central Government. It is then upon the State Governments and Union Territories to implement the scheme. The rules relating to the Single Nodal Agency (SNA) or SNA SPARSH mechanism of the Public Financial Management System are determined by the Department of Expenditure.

As per the Ministry's Press Release, it is the responsibility of district and state governments to monitor, coordinate and, if necessary, do some mid-course correction to ensure the success of the initiative. As per the Sakhi Portal, case-related information generated by functioning OSCs is being collected under the Mission Shakti Dashboard in place of the erstwhile Sakhi Dashboard.

Eligibility Criteria

• According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, "Any woman subjected to violence either in public or in private places is eligible for assistance at the OSC regardless of her age, economic status, caste, education, marital status, race and cultural background."

• Women affected by physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, or financial violence can seek assistance at the nearest One Stop Centre.

• The injured woman along with her children may be admitted into the OSC. The children shall comprise only females of all ages and males below the age of 12 years.

• A woman can be provided with a temporary shelter at the OSC for up to five days.

• The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012 protect girls below 18 years who visit the Centre.

Application Process

There are various assistance points for women seeking support through the One Stop Centre (Sakhi) scheme.

• Contact Women Helpline (181): As per Mission Shakti, the Women Helpline is a toll-free service that provides 24-hour assistance over the phone, through which women will be directly connected to the nearest One Stop Centre and other services for emergencies.

• Visit the Nearest OSC Directly: A woman affected by violence or someone who is with her may go immediately to the nearest operational OSC and receive assistance.

• Referral Through Police or Hospital: Cases can also be referred to the OSC by a hospital, police station, or other government body that is coordinating with the Centre.

• Case Recording: As seen on the Sakhi Portal, upon reaching the Centre, all details regarding the woman are entered by the staff of the OSC in the Mission Shakti Dashboard for monitoring and managing the case.

Conclusion

The One Stop Centre (Sakhi) provides all the services related to medical assistance, legal aid, police facilitation, counselling, and temporary shelter in one place for women affected by violence. It is advised that the concerned individuals should refer to the websites of the Ministry of Women & Child Development and Mission Shakti for the latest updates regarding the scheme guidelines and OSC locations.