OSC in Gbl receives 300 cases, settles 135 cases since Jan 2021

Raja Syed Rather

Ganderbal, Feb 26 (KNO): The One-Stop Centre (OSC) in Wayil Ganderbal district is providing a safe and supportive environment for women, who have experienced gender violence including physical, sexual and emotional psychological or economic issues. So far, the centre has settled over 130 cases out of 300 since January 2021, the officials said.

Advocate Malik Shagufta (Centre Administrator) while talking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), “On January 01, 2021, the Sakhi one-stop centre in Ganderbal was launched. The primary objective of the Sakhi one-stop centre is to offer comprehensive support to women experiencing sexual assault, domestic violence, and other related issues, all under one roof.”

Advocate Malik Shagufta—a centre administrator at the one-stop facility Ganderbal said that, of the 300 cases received so far, around 135 have been settled.

Cases including human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual harassment, cybercrime, and other issues are all received by us, she said.

“Along with offering them temporary housing, we also offer them counselling, medical attention, rescue services, police services, and legal assistance. We make sure to address the problems inside four walls. We guarantee the privacy of the individual’s details,” Advocate said.

“We handle matters involving individuals over the age of 18, and we send situations involving those under the age of 18 to the child welfare committee,” she said, adding that “every public transport vehicle has labels on it with the numbers of the women’s cell, the one-stop centre and even the district administration. We encourage anyone experiencing harassment to give us a call. We are available to them around-the-clock.”

Pertinently, the One-Stop Centre (OSC) has been launched to support services for survivors of gender-based violence. With a core objective to provide a safe haven and comprehensive assistance, the OSC aims to empower survivors and facilitate their reintegration into society—(KNO)