The Hindu : Front Page : Lending ear to women's issues

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Thursday, Oct 05, 2006
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Lending ear to women's issues

Anasuya Menon

WORD POWER: Counsellor at Gandhipuram All Women's Police Station in the city resolving relationship problem through discussion. - Photo: K. Ananthan

COIMBATORE: Sumathi hated waiting at the bus stop. A group of men hurled crude comments at her, sometimes even made lewd gestures. She ignored them at first, but they continued till, with much trepidation, she dialled the women's helpline. The next day the same drama unfurled at the bus stop. But before the men realised what was happening it was all over. They were nabbed and taken to the police station by policewomen in mufti who had witnessed the incident, says G.P Godhanavalli, a counsellor working for the Women's Helpline. Awareness about the 24-hour toll-free helpline for women has slowly increased with more and more women making use of the facility now, she says. Though it was set up in 2001, the calls were few in the first few years. But, now, the helpline receives at least three to four cases every week, says Mahalakshmi Subramaniam, who also works as a counsellor at the Gandhipuram All Women's Police Station. "We have been getting many cases even from Tirupur and Madukkarai," she adds. Though a majority of the cases are related to indirect dowry harassment, cases of marital disharmony and family problems also reach the helpline. When it was set up, the number was 300300, but later changed to 1091 for making it easy to remember.

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