Lok Sabha Question No. 1715 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-11
Subject: Cases of Violence and Harassment
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Asaduddin Owaisi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1715 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2022

## CASES OF VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT

## 1715.  SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI

Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  amid  raging  pandemic  the  number  of  women  reaching  out  to  the National  Commission for Women (NCW) to report violence and harassment has showed significant rise in 2021;
- (b) if  so,  number  of  complaints  received  by  NCW   during  2020  and  2021, State/UT-wise,
- (c) whether there is a significant rise in such cases from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra ;and
- (d) if so, steps taken or being taken by NCW to resolve the complaints and give helping hand to women to protect them from violence and harassment?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (c)   During the current pandemic, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken various initiatives to reach out to aggrieved women to report violence and harassment.  A  WhatsApp  help  line  number  7217735372  was  provided  during  the lockdown  to  report  the  complaints.  Further,  the  Commission  on  27 th July,  2021, launched  24x7  NCW  Women  helpline-7827170170  with  the  objective  to  provide online  support  to  women  in  distress  through  referral  by  linking  them  with  the concerned Police Authorities, Hospitals, Legal Services Authorities and also for the purpose  of  psychological  counseling.  These  initiatives  have  facilitated  women  in distress  to  lodge  complaints  to  NCW.  The  state/UT  wise  details  of  number of complaints registered with  NCW  during  the  years  2020  and  2021  is  at Annexure.

(d)   National  Commission  for  Women  has  taken   following  steps  to  resolve  the complaints  and  give  helping  hand  to  women  to  protect  them  from  violence  and harassment :

(1)         The  Commission  has  initiated  a  practice  of  conducting  both  in  person  and online hearings to look into the complaints. The Commission initiated a pilot project 'Mahila  Jan  Sunwai'  in  collaboration  with  District  Legal  Service  Authorities  and

State/District Police authorities to facilitate effective and speedy  disposal of complaints. Further, NCW takes suo moto cognizance of matters reported in print, electronic and other media sources under Section 10(1)(f) of the National Commission for Women Act,1990.

- (2)         The  Commission  had  collaborated  with  Lal  Bahadur  Shastri  National Academy  of  Administration  (LBSNAA),  for  undertaking 'Capacity  Building'  and Training  of  Protection  Officers  appointed  under  the  Protection  of  Women  from Domestic  Violence  Act,  2005  across  the  country.  The  programme  was  formally inaugurated  on  28.06.2021.  A  standardized  module  has  been  developed  to  carry forward these training programmes at pan India level.
- (3)         Gender  Sensitization  Programmes  and  Capacity  Building Programmes are being conducted for Police personnel on the laws relating to women in association with Bureau of Police Research & Development.
- (4)      During 2020-21, the Commission in collaboration with Universities/Colleges, has undertaken 5 Research Studies  on 'Cyber Security and threats in Cyber Space faced  by  Women'.       The  Commission  has  also  been  focusing  on  spreading awareness  on  cyber  crimes  by  making  it  a  part  of  various  Legal  Awareness Programs.
- (5)       The  Commission  also  organized  a  Webinar  on  Misogyny  Online  and  Social Responsibility  of  Social  Media  on  23rd  June  2021,  with  the  focus  on  internet etiquette, Gender  equity policies  and community  guidelines of Social  media platforms .
- (6)         In  case  of  any  complaint  received  by  the  Commission,  pertaining  to  Cyber crime  against  women,  the  matter  is  immediately  taken  up  with  the  concerned authorities including  police Cyber cells of MHA for taking appropriate action in the case.  The  Commission  has  launched  an  awareness  campaign  by  developing  a creative/video spot on cyber crime security and is disseminating information through social media platforms.

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Annexure

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (c) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  1715  FOR  ANSWER  ON  11.02.2022  REGARDING' 'CASES  OF  VIOLENCE  AND  HARASSMENT'  ASKED  BY  SHRI  ASADUDDIN OWAISI, HON'BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

Data  of  complaints  registered  in  National  Commission  for  Women   under various categories during 2020 and 2021

| S.No.   | State                       |   2020 |   2021 |
|---------|-----------------------------|--------|--------|
| 1       | Andaman and Nicobar Islands |      4 |      2 |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh              |    158 |    206 |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh           |      6 |      6 |
| 4       | Assam                       |     85 |     90 |
| 5       | Bihar                       |   1072 |   1457 |
| 6       | Chandigarh                  |     52 |     64 |
| 7       | Chhattisgarh                |    154 |    165 |
| 8       | Dadra and Nagar Haveli      |      7 |      4 |
| 9       | Daman & Diu                 |      1 |      1 |
| 10      | Daman & Diu                 |      3 |      2 |
| 11      | Delhi                       |   2636 |   3336 |
| 12      | Goa                         |     15 |     24 |
| 13      | Gujarat                     |    207 |    265 |
| 14      | Haryana                     |   1265 |   1460 |
| 15      | Himachal Pradesh            |     94 |    135 |
| 16      | Jammu and Kashmir           |     79 |    157 |
| 17      | Jharkhand                   |    335 |    454 |
| 18      | Karnataka                   |    467 |    538 |
| 19      | Kerala                      |    145 |    152 |
| 20      | Ladakh                      |      0 |      2 |
| 21      | Lakshadweep                 |      1 |      1 |
| 22      | Madhya Pradesh              |    877 |   1105 |
| 23      | Maharashtra                 |   1188 |   1504 |
| 24      | Manipur                     |      7 |      3 |
| 25      | Meghalaya                   |      8 |      7 |
| 26      | Mizoram                     |      1 |      3 |
| 27      | Nagaland                    |      1 |      1 |
| 28      | Odisha                      |    138 |    176 |
| 29      | Pondicherry                 |     10 |     14 |
| 30      | Punjab                      |    420 |    544 |
| 31      | Rajasthan                   |    907 |   1130 |
| 32      | Sikkim                      |      1 |      4 |
| 33      | Tamil Nadu                  |    464 |    581 |
| 34      | Telangana                   |    220 |    238 |
| 35      | Tripura                     |      6 |     15 |
| 36      | Uttar Pradesh               |  11872 |  15828 |
| 37      | Uttarakhand                 |    358 |    457 |
| 38      | West Bengal                 |    458 |    734 |
| Total   | Total                       |  23722 |  30865 |