Hey,
Governments often act swiftly in the face of public anger.
Right after the horrific Nirbhaya gangrape in December 2012 and subsequent public outrage, the Sheila Dikshit government in Delhi launched a women helpline. It was run from the CM’s office.
This 181 helpline, which emerged in response to unprecedented anger, was taken nationwide two years later by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Like in Delhi, the helpline was designed to support women survivors in engaging critical services, such as the police, legal aid and hospitals.
But nearly a decade later, our investigation reveals a stark reality: the helpline has fallen far from its original promise. What was meant to be a lifeline for women in distress has now been reduced to a call-forwarding service.
Read more in Part 2 of our investigative series. Drawing from exclusive government documents, our latest report digs deep into how the helpline has been hollowed out, and its crucial responsibilities shifted.
If you’ve missed the first part of the series, read it here.
Stay with us as we continue to uncover the gaps in these key government schemes.
It’s not easy for a small team like ours to pull off these in-depth investigations. Bigger organisations often avoid it because it doesn’t always sit well with those in power. But we do it because that’s our promise to you. If you can, please consider donating and share our work with your friends and family. Your support is what keeps us going!
Furquan Ameen,
Editor, The Collective