The Jammu and Kashmir association on Saturday wrote to the National Commission for Women (NCW) to apply for immediate interventions for the restoration and institutionalization of special cells for women in Jammu and Kaschmir. The step follows the abrupt discontinuation of these important support units based on the termination of the financing of the NCW, which leaves thousands of women behind without decisive protection and support.
The closure of these critical special cells has triggered serious concerns about the future in need of protection that rely on these services from security and support.
These special cells were founded in 2021 under the initiative “Nonviolent at home rights” and were set up in police stations in all 20 districts Jammu and Kashmir. The project was implemented by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in cooperation with the J&K Home and Social Social Departments and Survived gender -specific violence.
In his letter to the chairman of the National Commission for Women, Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar, the union said that the initiative played a decisive role in offering legal assistance, crisis intervention and rehabilitation services for women in need of protection.
Since its foundation, the special cells have supported 9,791 survivors of violence (from November 1, 2021 to January 31, 2025). The initiative also carried out 1,581 consciousness and training programs in which communities were trained on legal rights and protection laws for women and children.
The project was managed by a team of 40 trained social workers (two per district) and two regional coordinators who have all the master's degrees in social work and have years of experience in dealing with violence against women.
With the decision of the NCW to withdraw funds, thousands of women who are currently receiving support are vulnerable and without recourse. Many will determine their cases in the middle of the process and confront themselves in their struggle for justice in enormous difficulties. The abrupt closure of these services would be a serious setback in the fight against gender -specific violence and left countless women without structured protection.
The special cells for women were decisive in combating violence against women, bridging gaps in the provision of the judiciary and for rehabilitation for survivors. The teams delivered professional, compassionate and effective services and offer legal aid, advice and rehabilitation support.
This ensured that women who were affected by violence had access to justice, protection and the necessary resources to rebuild their lives, the association said.
The association's National Convenor, Nasir Khuehami, said that despite the effects of the project, the decision of the NCW to withdraw the financing, endangered thousands of women and left them back without support. He emphasized that the abrupt closure of these special cells was a serious setback in the fight against gender -specific violence and that many victims forced their cases to give up in the middle of the procedure.
In its letter, the association emphasized the indispensable role of special cells in combating violence against women, the bridging of gaps to the delivery of the judiciary and the rehabilitation of survivors. The association emphasized that the closure of these services aggravated structural inequalities, report women from crimes and encourage perpetrators.
Khuehami said: “The breakdown of these special cells is not just a political misstep. It is a political and moral failure that reveals the apathy of the government towards gender -specific justice.”
The association asked the NCW to extend financial support for at least another year, while the state government completes the institutionalization of the project. “The continuous support of these special cells is not just a question of politics, but a moral necessity to protect and maintain the rights, the dignity and well -being of women,” said the association and asked the NCW to take decisive measures to restore and institutionalize these decisive services.
The association called for the NCW chairman Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar to intervene immediately and to support the special cells for at least another year, while the state government completes its institutional process. “We ask the NCW to take decisive measures to protect women in J&K and to ensure that the fight against gender -specific violence continues to be a top priority,” she added.