Why Omar Abdullah Must Intervene To Save J&K Women's Support Cells

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)
Representational Photo

By Dr . Syeda Hameed, Shabnam Hashmi

Dr. Syeda Hameed and Shabnam Hashmi, along with over 600 activists, artists, and professionals, have urged J&K CM Omar Abdullah to prevent the closure of Special Cells for Women, set to shut down on March 31, 2025, due to funding cuts.

Dear Shri Omar Abdullah,

As you are well aware after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, Human Rights & Women's Commissions were dissolved in J&K. It was in 2021 that National Commission of Women started an initiative of Special Cells in J&K to substitute in some ways the work of State Women's Commission.

The news of imminent closure of the Special Cell for Women in Jammu & Kashmir on March 31, 2025, due to the discontinuation of funding by National Commission for Women (GOI) is no less than a shock to gender & women activists of J&K as well as from across India.

Read Also J&K Women's Support Cells Face Shutdown, Survivors in Lurch New Criminal Laws Strengthen Women's Safety: PM

This initiative, established to provide critical psycho-social legal support to women facing violence, has played a transformative role in ensuring access to justice, protection, and rehabilitation.

The Special Cells were set up under the Violence-Free Home – A Woman's Right Initiative and have been operational since November 2021. Implemented by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in collaboration with the J&K Home and Social Welfare Departments, the project is being funded by the National Commission for Women (NCW). The initiative extends across all 20 districts of Jammu & Kashmir, ensuring that women in distress receive holistic support.

Since its inception, the Special Cells have reached out to 9,791 survivors of violence (November 1, 2021 to January 31, 2025), providing them with counselling, legal assistance, and crisis intervention. Additionally, social workers from the Special Cells have conducted or participated in 1,581 awareness and training programs, sensitizing communities about legal rights and protective laws for women and children.

The Special Cells for Women in Jammu and Kashmir are being run by a team of 40 social workers (2 per each district) and 2 regional coordinators (one for Jammu Division and one for Kashmir Division). Each staff member has been trained intensively and is having years of experience in working with women in distress. Each employee has a minimum educational qualification of Masters in Social Work from renowned universities.

Tata Institute of Social Sciences which is a pioneering institute of Social Work in the country has ensured that these services are provided with the best quality and know-how. These services are greatly women centric providing a safe space and a platform of justice for the women facing violence.

A defining feature of these Special Cells is their strategic placement within police stations across Jammu & Kashmir, bridging the gap between survivors and the criminal justice system. Trained

social workers ensure that women can navigate legal procedures with dignity and support. It has made police stations accessible and the police personnel more sensitive to gender based violence.

However, with NCW's decision to withdraw funding, thousands of women currently receiving support will be left vulnerable and without recourse. Many will find their cases abandoned mid-process, facing immense hardship in their fight for justice.

The abrupt closure of these services

would be a severe setback in the fight against gender-based violence, leaving countless women without structured protection. While institutionalizing the Special Cells under the state government is the ideal long-term solution, an immediate interim measure is crucial to ensure that services remain uninterrupted.

We earnestly seek your support to intervene in some of the following ways:

Directing the Social Welfare Department & Home Department to explore interim funding solutions that will allow the continued functioning of the Special Cells, which otherwise will stop from 31 March 2025.

Requesting the National Commission for Women (NCW) to extend financial support for the Special Cells until the state government finalizes its institutionalization process.

Expedite the process of institutionalization of Special Cells for women, the proposal of which (Prepared by Department of Social Welfare J&K) is already in process before the ministry of social welfare under communication No. SWD-Plan/35/2024-02 (e-7591573).

Convening an urgent meeting with key stakeholders, including NCW, TISS, and the State Government, to strategize a sustainable transition plan for the long-term continuity of the Special Cells. Even if it means allowing some CSR funding to TISS which can continue with the cells, if money/funding is the real issue but it is hard to believe that 2 crore/year is a big deal for any government to spend on such a critical service!

Over the past three years, these Special Cells have emerged as a beacon of hope for women in distress, offering them protection, justice, and empowerment. Their closure would not only undo years of progress but also leave thousands of survivors without the vital support they depend on. And, only a government which thinks of women as unimportant will let these cells die down quietly & let J&K government not be one such government!

• – Shabnam Hashmi is a Social Activist, and Founder Anhad.

• – Dr Syeda Hameed is Former Member Delhi Commission for Women, Planning Commission of India

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