Sri Vijaya Puram, July 23: More than 200 people participated in a series of awareness programmes conducted across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to improve public awareness of women’s legal rights, protection mechanisms and support services available for survivors of violence under the Mission Shakti scheme.
The awareness programmes were organised by the One Stop Centres (OSCs), functioning under Mission Shakti of the Ministry of Women and Child Development and implemented by the Directorate of Social Welfare, Andaman and Nicobar Administration. The campaigns were held during May and June 2026 at Dairy Farm, Aberdeen Bazar, Phongychaung, Shadipur, Mohanpura, Bhargat Line, Prothrapur and Calicut.
According to the Directorate of Social Welfare, the programmes focused on informing participants about the services offered by One Stop Centres, the Women Helpline, women’s rights, gender equality, cyber safety, prevention of violence against women and the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
A total of 209 participants attended the awareness sessions conducted across the identified locations.
The department said the initiative aimed to strengthen awareness of legal rights, institutional support systems and grievance redressal mechanisms available to women. It also sought to encourage women facing violence or abuse to seek assistance without delay while promoting greater community participation in ensuring women’s safety, dignity and empowerment.
One Stop Centres provide integrated support services to women affected by violence. These services include medical assistance, police facilitation, legal aid, temporary shelter, psychological counselling and rehabilitation support under a single platform.
Women experiencing any form of violence or abuse can approach the nearest One Stop Centre directly or access its services through referrals from the police, hospitals, government departments, Anganwadi workers, relatives, friends or other agencies.
The Directorate of Social Welfare stated that three One Stop Centres are currently functioning in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These centres are located at Junglighat in South Andaman, near AYUSH Hospital; at the Zonal Library Building in Mayabunder for North and Middle Andaman; and at Perka Headquarters in Nicobar, providing support services to women across the three districts.
The awareness campaign forms part of the ongoing implementation of Mission Shakti, which focuses on improving access to protection, legal assistance and rehabilitation services for women facing violence while strengthening awareness of their rights and available institutional support.
