During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Delhi government's WCD department has advised women shelter homes and one-stop centres (OSCs) to provide the best medical consultation to their residents.
The Department of Women and Child Development (WCD) serves as the focal point for women's care, protection, and empowerment, as well as efforts to end violence against women.
During the current crisis, the department has issued an advisory to the city's shelter homes regarding crisis response to women.
'In the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is preferable that best medical consultation from qualified doctors be made available in all shelters/OSCs in the best interests of the women residing in such institutions.'
'It is also necessary that all relevant services under the department are made easily accessible to the women in need of care and protection, despite challenges of service delivery in the pandemic situation,' the advisory said.
In the national capital, there are three government-run women's shelters and 13 run by non-governmental organisations. In addition, 11 Sakhi (OSCs) have been established in Delhi's 11 districts.
The OSC provides temporary shelter, medical assistance, police assistance, legal assistance, and psycho-social counselling to women in need.
In orders issued on April 7 and May 3, the department issued advisories for the prevention of COVID-19 among residents of women's care institutions.
The Ministry was established with the primary goal of addressing gaps in State action for women and children, as well as promoting inter-Ministerial and inter-sectoral convergence in order to create gender equitable and child-centered legislation, policies, and programmes.
One Stop Centre, a sub-scheme of the Umbrella Scheme for the National Mission for Women, which includes the Indira Gandhi Mattritav Sahyaog Yojana is a centrally sponsored scheme. These Centers will be established across the country in stages to provide women affected by violence with integrated support and assistance under one roof, both in private and public spaces. In the first phase, one Center will be established on a trial basis in each State/UT.
