Sakhi One-Stop Centre Scheme

One-Stop Centre Scheme, also known as Sakhi, is a component of the umbrella scheme for the National Mission for Empowerment of Women that also encompasses the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahayog Yojana. The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) formulated this centrally-sponsored scheme.

MWCD intends to set one-stop centres across the country to offer integrated support towards women and rescue them from the vicious cycle of violence, whether in private or public spaces.

In India, gender-based violence has multiple manifestations. From facing domestic and sexual violence to being the sufferer of toxic practices like honour killings, dowry, acid attacks, witch hunting, trafficking, enforcing sex-selective abortion, women and girls are robbed of their dignity and existence. Moreover, the unreasonable injustices violate their fundamental rights and disrupt their health and mental being, thereby averting their growth.

OSCS assists women suffering the wrath of physical, emotional, psychological or sexual abuse irrespective of their age, class, educational status, culture, etc. Moreover, it will provide them with complete assistance and redressal and help them emerge from the shackles of prolonged life violence and discrimination.

Read through to know more about one-stop centre scheme!

The scheme addresses gender-based brutality and aims to expedite and facilitate multiple services for women affected by violence. The objectives of the scheme are as follows:

• This scheme mainly intends to advocate for women affected by violence in private or public places, which can be within the periphery of their houses, at workplaces, or anywhere in a community.
• Providing immediate, emergency, non-emergency support, which includes legal, medical, psychological counselling services aiding the affected women.
• Scheme objectives are to make sure victims of violence are promptly and effectively assisted without the need to get involved in many different agencies. 
• It is a program that has a science of making women feel empowered while helping them recover and rebuild their lives.
• Furthermore, it allows for better integration among various stakeholders such as government departments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and health services so that cases of violence against women can be dealt with comprehensively. 
• The other aspect is about raising awareness as well as improving the quality of services provided to survivors.

One-Stop Centre Scheme facilitates an affected individual with multiple services. The OSCS details are as follows:

• Emergency Response and Rescue Services: As soon as a woman comes up with her issues, the OSC will provide rescue and referral services. They work under the help of National Health Mission (NHM) with 108 services and PCR vans so that the affected woman can reach a nearby hospital or shelter home.
• Medical Assistance: Affected women receive medical aid and examinations as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare guidelines.
• Psycho-Social/Support Counselling: A tragic incident ravages the affected individual's confidence. So, the scheme of one-stop centre also involves a skilled counsellor who will conduct the counselling service and help the affected woman address the issue and seek justice.
• Legal Aid and Counselling: OSC also provides empanelled lawyers or National/State/District Legal Service Authority to help an affected individual seek justice.
• Video Conferencing Facility: To speed up the police and court proceedings, OSC provides a video conferencing facility where the victimised woman can also record her statements.
• Confidentiality: This is when the survivor’s information and experiences are made private and confidential throughout their engagement with the centre.
• Accessibility: It is also located in central areas, which enables the victims of violence to reach it easily and get assistance quickly.
• Coordination with Agencies: It operates in collaboration with law enforcement, social services, and healthcare professionals so that survivors can get comprehensive care and support from these agencies.
• Support Services: Immediate relief such as housing, legal representation, or emotional counselling will help meet the immediate needs of survivors.
• 24/7 Availability: This means that survivors can contact us at any time, day or night, when they may need results urgently and consult outside business hours.
• Victim-Centred Approach: This approach focuses on the victims' needs and specific preferences, thereby providing them with appropriate assistance during recovery and legal processes.

One-Stop Centre Scheme will assist all women over and under 18 years of age whose well-being is threatened by the fury of violence irrespective of their caste, creed, marital status, religion or sexual orientation. Every age group can easily access the scheme's benefits in unfortunate circumstances.

Some of the categories of people who are eligible to the One-Stop Centre Scheme are:

1. Violence Survivors: People who have been subjected to various forms of violence, including but not limited to domestic violence, sexual abuse or assault, which can be physical, psychological and emotional.
2. Women and Children: Mainly women and children who are victims of violence or abuse.
3. Transgender People: This embraces transgender individuals who have faced violence and need support services as well.
4. Victims Requiring Urgent Assistance: Individuals who may require immediate medical, legal or emotional assistance after an act of violence has taken place.
5. Local Community Members: Typically, individuals residing within the jurisdiction of the One-Stop Centre’s operational area can access the services.

Eligibility may change based on geographical location with specific local regulations and the scope of different centres' services.

One-Stop Centre Scheme is an ideal platform for women aggrieved by violence. Let us see how the scheme benefits an affected individual.

• A distressed woman can easily access this scheme by herself registering the issue. She can also send someone else on her behalf. Issues launched by the affected get utmost priority.
• Affected women can avail a temporary shelter at OSC for a maximum of 5 days along with their children. Girls of all ages can stay with their mother; however, boys over eight years cannot stay with their mother at OSC.

Moreover, affected women will receive basic facilities like food, medicine, clothes and other basic amenities like sanitary napkins, soap, shampoo, etc.

An affected woman can access the One-Stop Centre Scheme in the following ways:

• She can go by herself and ask for assistance and lodge complaints.
• Via any individual, for instance a community-minded person, relative, friend, NGO or any other frontline worker to reach the OSC.
•  Through any person including any public-spirited citizen, public servant (as defined under section 21 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860), relative, friend, NGO, volunteer, etc., or 
•  Through Women Helpline integrated with police, ambulance and other emergency response helplines

Right after an aggrieved woman lodges a complaint or states an issue,  the DPO/PO/DM/DYSP/SP/CMO of the district or area concerned with the issue or crime will receive the message.

Furthermore, whenever a distressed woman approaches OSC for assistance by herself or by sending someone on her behalf, the case gets registered in a system following the desired format, and instantly a unique ID will be generated.

To recapitulate, the progress of any society depends mainly on the advancement in the position of women. However, the bitter truth of Indian culture shows a continuous rise of discrimination and disregard against females. One-Stop Centre Scheme helps women by providing the necessary support against violence, motivating them to seek justice, thus, empowering them.

You may also like to read:

• Women Empowerment Schemes in India
• Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme