Sponser: Department. of Women and Child Development, Govt of Maharashtra
Sponser: Department. of Women and Child Development, Govt of Maharashtra Police Stations across Maharashtra, Coordinating Office in TISS Explore Objectives: The Special Cell for Women and Children (hereafter, Special Cell) is an effort aimed at eliminating violence against women (VAW). It is a service provided to women survivors by trained social workers, strategically located in the police system with a clear understanding that VAW is a crime and that it is the responsibility of the State to prevent and counter it. The location within the police station aims to lead to a more co-ordinated, coherent and in-depth response to the issue by integrating quality psycho-social-legal services within the police system. The first Special Cell for Women and Children was established in 1984 as a strategic collaboration between Bombay Police and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. The Special Cells' mission is to work towards ensuring that women are recognized as individuals, with equal rights and opportunities in society, including the opportunity to live a peaceful, violence-free life. The strategic location of the Special Cell within the police system facilitates the State to counter VAW, based on the belief that the legitimate power and authority inherent in the latter can be constructively used to curb VAW in society. This enables the programme to say “no to violence” at the individual & societal levels.