Thiruvananthapuram: The state’s most effective programmes for the protection, rehabilitation and empowerment of victims of sexual abuse and other vulnerable women, including the Nirbhaya project, are in danger of being dismantled.
The Centre, as part of its policy of pulling out of welfare schemes, has decided to stop funding Mahila Samakhya Society (MSS), which runs eight Mahila Shikshan Kendras (MSKs) for orphaned and vulnerable women and eight Nirbhaya homes for rape victims across the state. Besides, the society that functions under the Union education ministry offers legal and medical assistance to women in the most vulnerable blocks in the state.
“We had intimation about the Centre’s moves in August but we were under the impression that they would impose some conditions and that would be all,” said P. Usha, the state project director of Mahila Samakhya Society. She is flying to Delhi to attend an emergency meeting of state project directors on November 15 to chalk out a joint strategy.
The state governments of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Assam have formally declared that MSS would be run by them. “We have spoken to education minister Abdu Rabb and he sounded positive,” Ms Usha said. However, no concrete steps or announcement have been made.
Over 300 vulnerable women, either victims of rape or abandoned and orphaned, are lodged in the eight MSKs across the state. And in the eight Nirbhaya homes there are over 200 inmates, mostly adolescent victims of sexual abuse. These women are given education, sustained psychological legal help.
The MSS also employs 100 staff. In addition, it also has resource persons in the most vulnerable wards in the state, like Nilambur and Tanur in Malappuram, Iritty in Kannur, and Ranni in Pathanamthitta.
“HRD minister Smriti Irani knows nothing of the work MSS has been doing. MSS has the best programmes in the country for rehabilitation of women victims,” said Seema Bhaskar, former project director.
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