300 more One Stop Centres to come up soon to support women affected by violence: Irani

Mumbai: Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday said 300 more One Stop Centres (OSCs), intended to support women affected by violence, will be opened soon across the country.

She said women's health and empowerment have become an integral part of the central government's programmes and policies.

Speaking at a zonal conference of states and different stakeholders from the western region in Mumbai, the minister said 704 One Stop Centres are functioning in the country at present and in collaboration with women's helpline, 70 lakh women in distress have received support from governments - both the Centre and states combined.

Three hundred more One Stop Centres would be opened soon, she said.

One Stop Centres (OSCs), opened under a scheme launched by the Women and Child Development Ministry, are intended to support women affected by violence in private and public spaces, within family, community and at the workplace.

The minister said through the Nirbhaya Fund, various projects worth Rs 9,000 crore have been implemented between 2014-21 for the safety and security of women.

Irani said women's health and empowerment have become an integral part of government programmes and policies, stressing the Centre is committed to protect the self-respect of women by addressing challenges faced by them with a multi-sectoral approach.

The focus of the conference was on three important topics: 'Mission Poshan 2.0' relating to nutrition of women and children, 'Mission Shakti' relating to safety and security of women, and 'Mission Vatsalya' which is aimed at securing a happy and healthy childhood for

every child.