Support Services to Counter Violence

Against Women in Chhattisgarh

A RESOURCE DIRECTORY

RUPANTAR
A-26, Surya Apartments, Katora Talab, Civil Lines,
Raipur, C.G. 492001, Chhattisgarh

In

Collaboration With

UNIFEM
August, 2003
 Resource for Women A Directory ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This directory is a direct response to the need for a The preparation of this directory owes a great deal to many
comprehensive guide on the resources available for women in individuals or organisations.
crisis situations in Chhattisgarh.
We are grateful to the government and non-government agencies
Organisations working with women need information on who shared their experiences, materials, data and contacts with us.
the availability of support services such as councelling, legal aid, A special thank you is also due to the individuals working on this
alternative shelters etc. in order to help them in a hostile issue who have enriched this directory with the experience and in-
fashion. Although a large number of Organisations in Chhattisgarh formation.
provide some or all of these support services. Most women and
organisations working with women are not aware of their It is also important to note that all the information of the direcotry are
existance because informations on them has not been duly based on the informations provided by the relevant organisations.
collected and disseminated. This resource directory has been
compiled in order to fill this gap. The directory provides details of Our special thanks to UNIFEM, New Delhi and ZONTA INTERNA-
over a hundred government, semi-government and TIONAL for financial support and encouragement for the resource
non-government organisation working with women in the area of directory.
councelling, legal aid, alternative shelters, skill training
,marketing and credit. Published simultaneously in Hindi as well Within Rupantar, many people have contributed to the completion
as in English, it is hoped that the directory will be useful to of this work. In particular I would like to thank Ms. Ambika Nair, Ms.
individual woman seeking help, activists, policy makers, de- Sandhya Khare, Shri Madan Yadav and Shri Chinta Ram Sahu .
velopment planners, government officials as well as groups Thanks are also due to Shri Vijay Banthia who advised and helped
working in gender violence. us to complete this publication, for his dedicated effort.
Map of Chhattisgarh Contents

Part I- Analytical Articles

1. Violence Against Women in Chhattisgarh,

an overview .................................................1
2. Tonhi Menace - A Blot On Humanity .........................12
3. Darkness before coming to world...................... ....16
(The business of sex pre-selection at Birth in Chhattisgarh)

Part II - Statistics related to Violence against women

1. Statistics from period prior to state formation...............20

2. Statistics from period after state formation...................27

Part III - Supportive structures to combat Violence

1. State Policy on Women’s Empowerment ......................49

2. District wise listing of supportive structures
 About Rupantar
CHHATTISGARH - FACTS & FIGURES
RUPANTAR, A Registered Public Charitable Trust, working in
the different parts of Chhattisgarh, began around 1992 with small de-
District Head Population Sex Ratio Female Total velopmental and awareness raising activities.
Quarters 2001 Literacy Literacy
(%) (%)
Dantewara Dantewara 719065 1009 10.1 30.01 In the early years most of the activities were carried out on a
Bastar Jagdalpur 1302253 999 13.5 45.48 voluntary basis. With the gradual realization of the scope for funda-
Kanker Kanker 651333 1001 25 73.31 mental work in the social sector, the range and depth of our work has
Dhamtari Dhamtari 703569 1009 36 75.16
expanded. All of RUPANTAR’s work is carried out with communities of
Mahasamund Mahasamund 860176 1015 25.9 67.64
people who have been marginalised in the process of development.
Raipur Raipur 3009042 983 31.6 68.06
RUPANTAR’s charter is to work towards alternative paradigms of de-
Durg Durg 2801757 982 42.8 75.84
Rajnandgaon Rajnandgaon 1281811 1016 32 77.58
velopment that would be controlled by and based on the strength of
Kawardha Kawardha 584667 996 14.1 55.39 these communities. Over the years, RUPANTAR ‘s work has come to
Bilaspur Bilaspur 1993042 973 28 63.68 be focussed on the thematic areas of Education, Health, Gender and
Janjgir-Champa Janjgir 1316140 1007 27.6 66.26 Bio-Diversity Conservation.Since 1994, we have also been working to
Jashpur Jashpur Nagar 7 3 9 7 8 0 1001 25.6 65.37 develop modules of chemical free organic agriculture.
Korba Korba 1012121 952 28.2 63.24
Raigarh Raigarh 1265084 1000 2 7 70.50
Areas of work proposed in the near future include watershed
Sarguja Ambikapur 1970661 966 1 5 855.37
management, and the collection, identification and marketing of
Koriya Baikunthpur 585455 926 24.5 63.44
Chhattisgarh Raipur 20795956 985 27.5
medicinal plants and minor forest produce.

RUPANTAR welcomes moral, intellectual and practical support

from all those who wish to further the aims and objectives of the
organisation.
 PART - I

Analytical Articles

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: THE CASE OF CHHATTISGARH
ILINA SEN ,
Violence against women takes many forms in Chhattisgarh. The exact
nature of the problem, as well as the underlying causes, need to be
analysed in some detail, before we can begin to strategise about
possible ways of intervention to confront and overcome the problem.
The Context
The context of the discussion, is provided by Chhattisgarh, but perhaps the
arguments could be extended to other areas with a similar developmental his-
tory.
The Chhattisgarh region is an area that is an ecologically, linguistically, and
culturally distinctive region. Administratively it comprises of 16 districts, carved
out of the original seven , viz., Raipur, Durg, Rajnandgaon,Bilaspur, Surguja,
Raigarh and Bastar.The last three districts lie on the fringes of the region and
are considerably influenced by the culture and ecology of the areas they border,
Mirzapur, Ranchi, Gumla, Gadchiroli, and the Telengana districts of Andhra
Pradesh.The Chhattisgarh region, has a large area under forest cover, rich min-
eral reserves (limestone,quartzite, iron ore, bauxite alexandrite), and a large
tribal population.The river Mahanadi flows through the central part of the region,
and the plains areas in the river valley are famous for rice cultivation, with input
intensive HYVs having replaced traditional seeds in much of this region. Along
the railway, that passes through the valley centre , there has sprung up over the
last twenty years, an industrial belt with three large cement plants,steel rolling
and re-rolling mills,and a large mixed industrial estate.
The population is mixed around this industrial and urban belt. In the rural areas
of the Mahanadi valley, OBCs like the Sahus and the Kurmis dominate agricul-
ture, and the Satnamis constitute a major scheduled caste component.
Chhattisgarh has approximately 34% Scheduled Tribe population, 12% Sched-
uled Caste population, and more than 50% Other Backward Classes. While the
process of modernization seems to be apparent in the valley areas, the situa-
tion in the forest and hill areas on the periphery of the district is quite different.
Although being affected more and more by invasive forest and mineral exploita-
tion, traditional lifestyles and population compositions have survived to a far
greater extent here. Some of these areas, dominated by the Gond, Halba and
Kamar/Bhujia and Oraon tribes, have recently been covered under the Exten-
sion of Panchayati Raj to Scheduled Areas (PESA).
Like the neighboring state of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh is also a resource rich
state. It consists of three natural regions that are rich in minerals, forest produce
as well as fertile alluvial plains. Rice as well other millet based cereal crops
are grown. The region is known as the rice bowl of India, and there is a
rich heritage of seed germplasm of indigenous parentage that are adapted
to the many micro eco systems that the region contains.
Unfortunately, mainstream developmental policy has downplayed the contri-
bution of these indigenous seeds as well as indigenous farm practices,
and has pushed an aggressive policy of agricultural modernization that
have given preference to mechanization and hybrid seeds.
Chhattisgarh is extremely rich in mineral resources, and in forests. In 1994-95,
the seven districts of Chhattisgarh contributed over 70% of the mineral royalties
of the state of Madhya Pradesh, and over
40 % of the forest revenues. This rich re-
source base has been instrumental in ush- In Chhattisgarh, we have the
ering in a period of rapid, heavy industrial- unique experiences of living
ization along the railway main line that several centuries of
traverses the Mahanadi valley en route from existence at the same time...
Bombay to Calcutta.The industrialization
began with the commissioning of the Bhilai Steel Plant in 1957, and today is
concentrated in the mega project called Raipur Industrial Development Area
(RIDA), with growth nodes at Jamul (Bhilai), Urla (Raipur), Tedesara
(Rajnandgaon),Siltara (Raipur), Borai (Durg) and Sirgitti (Bilaspur).The state in-
dustrial policy of 1994 has , through a series of concessions and incentives,
accelerated the growth of this industrial belt.This has led to massive inmigration
into the urban industrial nodes; however, today, (1999), with the industrial reces-
sion, many of these units, and their employees are in deep crisis.Since the
cities were not designed for this kind of immigration, there have been a host of
other existential and social problems.The industrial climate is characterized by
extreme insecurity of employment, vast extent of the contractual system,non
payment of minimum wages and denial of basic statutory rights of workers,
rampant discrimination among different categories of workers, and a strong re-
sistance on the part of the employers to workers’ rights to organize
themselves.The forest wealth of the region is similarly being rapidly exploited
by commercial interests,and the traditional mixed forestry of the central Indian
jungles is being replaced by monocultures.
Violence against Women.
The violence that women face in today’s society in Chhattisgarh has to
be seen against this backdrop.Although the various manifestations of
patriarchy are interconnected and ultimately traceable to patriarchal ideol-
ogy, the exact forms that this violence takes depends upon the context
in a number of ways.
In Chhattisgarh, we can identify
against women.
The violence of economic
In the climate of economic liberalization that the country is going through
today, a region like
Chhattisgarh, without a strong
preexisting industrial base and
lacking strong organizational
base among industrial workers
is vulnerable in many ways. A
case study of the Urla Indus-
trial Area (UIA) near Raipur
shows that in the post liberal-
ization era, industrial employ-
ment is characterized by ex-
treme insecurity of employ-
ment, non payment of minimum
wages, rampant discrimination
among different kinds of work-
ers, and vast extent of the
contractual system. In this con-
text women are particularly
vulnerable.
Women form about half the
workforce at Urla. One might have
expected that they would be seen
in the small-scale sector; only
however, they are also visible in
the medium-scale Ferro alloy and
other units. In the really large-
scale industries like Simplex,
Khetawat and BEC, women work-
ers are no longer found, although
many workers recall that during
the construction and expansion
phases of these units in the late
eighties and prior to 1991, women were employed as unskilled workers to do
heavy load-lifting and cartage operations.
Women in the UIA are predominantly employed through contractors. In the 14
the following major kinds of violence units studied, there was no women company worker in any unit, although
women worked as contractual workers in all of them. The 109 company work-
ers in these units were thus all male, and of the 243 contract workers, 118
liberalization. were women. When we disaggregate the data for regular, contractual and re-
trenched workers according to gender, we have the following picture:
Male Female
Protest by Women Regular workers 109 -
Under Chekri village (Ambikapur) area,
Contract workers 125 118
beat-guards of forest department were in-
volved in illegal business of selling wood. Retrenched workers 244 230
When the people of Chekri village went to
Total 478 348
the forest for callecting dry wood available
on the graund they were with an aim to con-
struct root top of houses, beat-guard started
Among the discriminated sections, that is, contractual workers and retrenched
troubling villagers.
workers, women are found in almost the same numbers as men, in fact more
women are contractual workers or have been laid off in proportion to their total
The people protested on the ground that
numbers than men.
government does not prohibit collection of
dry wood fallen an ground and beat-guard
Women at Urla also appear to be the selective victims of modernization and
was terrorising them for the same cause.
reorganization in industry in response to economic liberalization. As an ex-
On being challenged beat-guard misbe-
ample, we quote the example of Usha Industries, a small unit functioning on
haved with women folk in village by using
the outskirts of Raipur town since 1980.
abusing language. The women informed
Amulya Bai a member of Mahila Shakti
The major product of Usha Industries used to be glucose bottles for intrave-
Sangh about the incident to. Amulya Bai
nous injections, and the unit functioned from a small shed with 45 women
along with sixteen women approached the
workers and 3 men who were in a supervisory position. The women were paid
beat-guard to convince him about the
a monthly wage of Rs. 500 and worked with fairly simple manual technology.
women’s case. The Beat-guard in return
The management periodically informed them that they (that is, the manage-
went to with village women with twelve po-
ment) were putting money aside for them in a private provident fund. Since
lice men from Van Parishad office. Police-
none of the women was educated, and because they trusted the manage-
men when overlooked by the women lodged
ment, no one enquired into the veracity of this claim. In 1993, Usha Industries
FIR against them. For violating law. Many
secured a plot in UIA and decided to mechanize and increase its production.
against whom FIR was lodged were false
The employees were suddenly informed that the unit would be closing down
names. One of the women whose name was
as it was running at a loss. Upon enquiry about their “fund” , the women were
listed underwent delivery the day back
told that the losses had in fact accumulated over several years, and that the
while another was old women eighty years
management had used up the fund money to cover the losses. The women
old handicapped woman. The court case
organized themselves and sat in Dharna outside the factory gate, and during
against them still continues.
this period, they came to know the real reasons for the unit’s closure: Usha
was planning to convert itself into a pharmaceutical unit. Although the agita-
tion continued into 1995, the management finally managed to negotiate a peace-
ful end by paying each of the women Rs. 5,000.
The case of BK Hygiene was very similar: 53 women workers in the glove-
making unit were laid off because a new conveyor belt was being introduced
that would make their jobs redundant. The case of the women was taken up by
the PESS, and at the time of writing, the case is sub- judice.
and worked on the assembly line. Yet they were penalized for minor lapses at
work. Lachni from the ayurvedic factory told us of a time when she and two
colleagues dropped a gunny bag full of medicine bottles and broke the contents.
For this all three women were denied two day’s wages, that is, six women days
of work were extracted and not paid for.
The precise nature of violation of the legal rights of women workers can be seen
in the case of Chandrasheela, a worker at the Gyan Rerolling Mills.

Women workers in UIA have long working hours, and the women who were Chandrasheela’s experience, the law and the reality, are as follows:
interviewed spoke without exception about having to work more than the stipu-
lated eight hours at times when their company or contractor was under pres- Her experience The legal position
sure to fulfill a production target. No overtime wages were paid on such occa-
sions. Wage levels were also variable: the lowest wage recorded was that of She has been working as a The law forbids contract
Puni Bai, a worker in the ayurvedic medicine unit of Manish Plastics. Puni Bai contract worker for the labour if the
reported that she was being paid a daily wage of Rs 16 after two years of last three years. job is of a permanent or
service. She had begun work at the same daily wage. In her company the perennial nature.
senior women workers were paid up to Rs. 20 daily, whereas the men were
paid Rs. 25. Although employed for The factories Act (1948)
civil work, she often has to forbid work,
With the basics of the employer-employee contract (hours and wages) at this carry heavy, hot iron which may be injurious to
level, it is no wonder that the Urla women do not have the basic facilities chunks on her head. health.
stipulated as their due under the Factories Act. Kamla from Bhalotia Plywood
reported that there were not separate toilets for women in her workplace, and No safety equipment is Violates Factories Act.
the common toilets were without water. Several of the women in Bhalotia said provided.
that the women were followed to the door of the common toilet by the male
supervisor to make sure that they did not loiter there. This, they said, was Wages are Rs. 14 per day. Violates Minimum Wage Act.
done in order to humiliate them and keep them submissive.
Night shifts are frequent. Night shifts are forbidden
Maternity leave and benefits are given in some units and are not provided in for women
some others. However, maternity leave is invariably without pay. The women Working hours go up to Statutory working day twelve hours
of Classic Umbrellas and Monet Ferro Alloys reported that their companies a day. should not exceed eight
did allow three months off to women employees at childbirth, but did not pay hours.
them wages for this absence, so basically they were on leave without pay
during this period, although their right to return to work was protected. Some No identity card or appoin- This is legally requiredment letter
other companies like Gujarat Timber and Bhalotia Plywood did not even guar- is issued. within three days of
antee this and women worker who took time off at maternity had to negotiate appointment.
her re-entry.
Wages are not paid during Violates Maternity
In terms of jobs actually performed in a unit, women performed a wide range maternity period. Benefits Act of 1961.
of tasks. They lifted heavy loads, filled in gaps in timber and wood, sorted
Common toilets for men Violates Factories Act.
finished products, ground and packaged medicines, organized scrap metal,
and women.
No creche for children Statutory requirement in
any unit employing more than twenty women.
The facts about women workers in the UIA speak for themselves. In conclusion
we can only comment on the obvious trends.
Economic liberalization in the context of UIA seems to be only for the investors,
and only in terms of securing infrastructural assistance in a more liberal manner.
The workers, and the women workers in particular, are not working in a liberated
atmosphere in any sense of the term, and the constitutional guarantees and
statutory rights that are supposed to protect them are flouted with impunity.
The conditions of employment and wages are unstable, as is the availability of
work. The instability affects women more than men, because in the UIA none of
the women’s special requirements at work is met. While we must insist on women’s
equal rights to participate in public production, we must also compensate them
socially for the special responsibilities they undertake of bearing and rearing
children. It has to be the responsibility of the state to insist on this, but today we
see a retreat of the welfare state and a return of the laissez-faire economy in
which structures of security and protection for workers built up painstakingly
over a century are being abandoned.
We have focused our attention in this paper on women as workers. It must be
added that working class women who may not be directly in the production
process are also affected by the insecurity and instability that mark the working
environment of the UIA.
In the area of agriculture, women are similarly vulnerable today. While
women played a major part in the traditional farming systems of the state,
today’s developmental policies systematically marginalize them. Women are
rapidly losing their productive role in agriculture, their role as the
managers of post harvest storage and seed keeping managers, as well as
their role as managers of household food security. Chhattisgarh today
displays the clichéd but horrific picture of ‘packed godowns and starving
people’ to an extent unknown ever before. In the year 2001, hunger deaths
have been reported from Surguja, Bastar and Mahasamund. Distorted
development policies have affected the food security of many of our
forest communities; although we do not have quantitative data, one can
argue that women are among the most adversely affected by this kind of
phenomenon.
The violence of distorted development has many facets, and many of the
kinds of cultural violence that women face are connected with it.
The violence of tradition.
Chhattisgarh has a favourable gender ratio (w/mx10000).In India, it is above
the national average, and second only to that of Kerala.This gives us an
illusion that the situation of women in Chhattisgarh is better than that in
many parts of the country. However, on examination, we find this situation
to be only partially true.
While it is true that women here are engaged in public production and are
free from the culture of seclusion,traditional social values and practices
display a violence that is subtle. Customary laws in Chhattisgarh relating
to marriage, divorce and child custody are heavily biased in favour of the
male partner. While, men and women in Chhattisgarh (barring a few upper castes)
are free according to customary law to terminate unsuccessful marriages and
enter into other relationship in all cases where parents are separated, child cus-
tody rests traditionally with the father. Early and pre-pubertal marriages still take
place frequently, and average age of commencement of childbirth is also low.
Many of the practices connected with childbirth and pregnancy are also ex-
tremely determental to women’s health and well being. For example according
to tradition, the mother is not given food or water for three days immediately
after delivery on the misinformed logic that this will make her secretion of breast
milk indigestible for the new born infant. In certain tribal communities, women
are sent out to the forest to deliver their babies alone and unaided, and only
allowed to return after a stipulated period of “uncleanliness” is over.
Over large parts of Chhattisgarh, in tribal and non tribal populations, belief
in female witchcraft leads to large numbers of women being persecuted as
‘tonhis’, (witches)and unlike Jharkhand, we do not have a special law to
deal with violence against women in this form.
Domestic and physical violence
As in many other parts of the country, domestic violence is also common
in Chhattisgarh.The belief system on which this is based is that of the
authority of the patriarchal, patrilocal marriage system in which the author-
ity of the husband and his family have precedence.This is of course a
serious issue, but what is more serious is the fact that the breakdown of
traditional social bonding and dysfunctional social change the people are
experiencing has led to crimes against women on a scale never before
seen in our recent history. Rape, child rape, female molestation and other
forms of violence against women are common occurrences in our cities
today where they were once unknown. Raipur city ranked fourth in the
matter of crimes against women in the year 2000-2001 among the cities
of the country.
Conclusion
The position of women
in Chhattisgarh is very
different in many ways
than the pattern prevail-
ing over much of the
rest of Madhya Pradesh.
Unlike women in north-
ern M.P.where the cul-
ture of exclusion and
seclusion seems to pre-
vail, women in
Chhattisgarh are articu-
late, visible, and play a
major role in public pro-
duction. This is one of
the few regions in the
country, indeed the
world, where women use
the plough.They play a
central role in rice culti-
vation, the major agri-
cultural activity in the
region, and are to be
seen in most kinds of
wage labour
today.While derogatory
practices like witch
hunting (Tonhi pratha)
exist, women enjoy
certain freedoms and social
behaviour. The image of the
unfamiliar in Chhattisgarh.
Increasing Crime in Society
Two Youths Sanju Mishra and Mohan
Dubey are alleged to have misbehaved with Brinda
Bai at Newai Dam near Bhilai (Durg) on March 18,
2003 (Holi Day) 10:00 a.m. when she had gone
there far a bath. Brindabai from Newai Kundra para
(Durg) was beaten up and paraded naked by the
duo at the same time .When she reported the mat-
ter to police she was again attacked by the youths
at her house in the night at about 8 :00 p.m. Brinda
had been married in Mungeli (Bilaspur), but was
staying with her mother in Nevai for the past sev-
eral months.. According to Brindabai the purpose
of the youths had been to dishonour her. Mohan
Dubey’s brother Mahesh Dubey was often pub-
licly disreptful towards her, and about three
months back had even forcefully entered the
house. Brindabai lodged a complaint against
Mahesh under section 354 IPC, of misbehavior.
The incident at the dam had been in revenge for
this complaint. Sanju Mishra & Mohan Dubey were
arrested but Sanju Mishra was released an bail an
March 26, 2003.
After his release he started to publicly threaten
Brinda that he would kill her and her mother. The
duo who were daily wage workers, stoped work
out of fear. Denied police protection, they have
been moving from place to place for shelter.
spaces in terms of relationships and normative
strong woman is not historically or sociologically
able for both sexes, it is customary law with regard to custody of the children
that acts as a control mechanism in women’s otherwise total freedom to end
heterosexual relationships. For it considered that the father and his family
have a primary claim to the custody of the children and the male children have
a right to his property. In practice, all kinds of complex custodial arrangements
are worked out, because the fact is that fathers are often unable and unwilling
to care for the children but are keen to exercise their ‘rightful ‘ claim. Such
cases are generally settled by arbitration through community elders. Although
women in Chhattisgarh enjoy many freedoms denied to their sisters elsewhere
in the country, this is not in any way to suggest that the ideology of female
subservience does not exist here. On the contrary, even in this situation the
male authority and dominance is quite clearly to be seen in social and cultural
life. Wife beating is common. Women lack political representation and are not
sufficiently integrated in the decision making mechanisms at community level.In
Chhattisgarh, the popular consciousness is a mixture of gender equity and
female subservience and it is upto us to highlight the positive aspects and
downplay the negative ones.
The recently adapted state policy on women makes an effort to take into
account the specificities of the situation of women in the state. However,
the mechanisms whereby the realities of multi faceted violence being
faced by women in the state, the political and economic changes that are
affecting the fabric of our society are to be mediated through instruments
of state policy is not clearly spelt out.The role of civil society, women’s
organizations and theoreticians in this context is extremely important, as
is the role of larger political struggles. It is only through the concerted
efforts of all sections of society that the situation for the large majority
of the women in Chhattisgarh will change for the better.
n

In Chhattisgarh, women do not wear purdah, and except among upper

castes.Although the freedom to make and end marriages is socially accept-
 Tonhi Menace - A blot on humanity
Dr. Dinesh Mishra, President , Andha Shradha Unmulan Samiti, as
Interviewed by HITAVADA
The State of
Chhattisgarh may be fast
moving towards a better
tomorrow but there are
still many practices that
remind us of medieval
era. The Tonhi (Witch)
scourge is one such bar-
baric and inhuman prac-
tice, which is very com-
mon in Chhattisgarh vil-
lages. It is in fact one of
the most commonly pre-
vailing superstition in the
State. The way a women
is declared a Tonhi and
subsequently subjected
to some of the most in-
human tortures points to
the fact that women’s lib-
eration is a distant dream
as far as rural
Chhattisgarh is con-
cerned.
Cases of torture
on women are reported
mainly from villages and
semi-urban settlements.
It is a matter of shame
for educated society
that women fall prey to
incidences of supersti-
tion.
Any children
falling ill in rural areas,
No Women is a Witch
The concept of Tonhi (Witch) is one of
the main superstition in the state of Chhattisgarh.
A women is declared Tonhi and is accused of
spreading disease and bringing disaster to the
village by performing Jadu-Tona (Witch craft).
These women are insulted and humiliated pub-
licly. Often it is accompanied by physical tor-
ture and they are ostracised from the commu-
nity. In many cases the torture is so severe that
they suffer from the wounds for months. Within
the village it is not possible to get treatment.
The psychological wounds due to public insult
and dishonor stay for life. The influence of the
powerful groups in the village is so great that the
news does not reach the cities and the women
and her family live a hallish life. In some cases
the women commit suicide.
In witch hunting cases the village repre-
sentatives and the government officials does not
come forward. So the news does not reach out-
side the village and the rule of the socked Baigas
(Witch Doctors) gets established. These Baigas
declare all disasters in the village due to Jadu-
Tona. They charge any amount for catching a
Tonhi, branding her and dringing the whole vil-
lage under his protection ( Gaon Bandhava) .
They also declare any poor innocent women
Tonhi and leave her to suffer. These Baigas de-
mand impossible tests from these women to
prove that they are not Tonhi. When the whole
village is against the Tonhi, it is impossible for
her to prove herself innocent.
complains of stomach pain, loss of appetite, crying during night, are not only physically tortured to great extremes but are also publicly
sleeplessness, any problems with crop yield, animals falling ill or not humiliated and ostracized from the society. Many women cannot get over the
giving milk, death of animals etc. are triggers for allegations of witchcraft. trauma for a long time and their social ostracism creates horde of problems for
Usually, a male witch doctor (baiga)is called who identifies a village woman their future life, he said. Usually the perpetrators are either influential people of
as a witch and the entire village is then united against her.Usually a tonhi the village or are in majority due to which the remaining few can hardly protest
(witch) is an adult woman, often issueless or a widow, and very often in against the atrocity, said Dr.
property or custody dis- In village Jamirra of Sukhapara Mishra. Due to this very few po-
pute with individuals or lice complaints are registered by
families in the village.
Following the death of a women named G r a m P a n c h a y a t n e a r the victim or any other person
Kumari Bai in Jaresar village under Dharsiwa Dharamjaigarh, a seventy years old against the tortures. Many times
Dr. Mishra feels Development Block in Raipur District,her widow Matibai committed suicide. the treatment meted out is so hor-
that only a total change in husband Paramanand levelled allegations of The villagers in trouble over natural rible that the victim is completely
social perspective can help Witchcraft on old village women named calamities consulted a witch doctor terrorized and loses all hope. The
in solving this problem.
“Though we have entered
Laxmi Bai. Plunged in superstitous belief, Samaru Ram. On whose advise some victims have no recourse but to
Parmanand left the dead body of his wife end their lives in desperation,
the 21 st century, we still women in villagers were identified pointed Dr. Mishra.
at the house of Laxmi Bai and asked her to
carry the beliefs and prac- return Kumari Bai to life. The entire vil- as Witches. Witch doctor said that
tices of 18 th century, said Dr. this women by their art of Witchcraft Dr. Mishra was also very
lage kept torturing Laxmi Bai terming her
Mishra and added that it is has spelled trouble on village people. critical of the role of the
imperative to develop vil-
Witch and she was turned out of the vil- administration in addressing this is-
lage. Those innocent women were then
lages and bring about an sue. Even the administrative offic-
overall change in the think- subjected to torture. Under extreme ers as well as the public repre-
ing of the people. “ only then can we think about progress’’, said Dr. Mishra who pressure, beating and dishonor one sentatives turn a blind eye to the
is of firm opinion that without an open mind, education is a farce. of the three Jajobai jumped into the problem, feels Dr. Mishra. Due to
well to end her life. this, 99 percent of the cases re-
Pointing at the dismal record of the state in this matter, Dr. Mishra said main unsolved and the hapless vic-
that in the last one year, Chhattisgarh has witnessed series of cases in which tims fail to get justice.
rural women were subjected to extreme humiliation time and again. “As long as
people do not have an open mind and treat fellow humans with compassion, real Talking about the methodology of branding a women, Dr. Mishra said, it
development and progress would remain a distant dream’’ said Dr. Mishra. is the Baigas who dictate the rules and brand the victims as Tonhi. These people
are also one of the most feared and influential people of the village. They first
Blaming a women for any natural or mandate calamities that befell a chose a certain women, then accuse her of being a tonhi. Later they lay certain
village shows the ignorance and superstition of the people, said Dr. Mishra and conditions before the women to absolve her of the charge. But usually these
added “It proves that people are still as uneducated and illiterates as they were conditions are impossible for her or any other women to meet and the whole
hundreds of year ago. “ We have to fight against these beliefs and without the village then brands her a Tonhi. The influence of the Baigas rises from the
help of entire society, it is a daunting task, said the champion of women’s ignorance and illiteracy of the villagers, said Dr. Mishra.
emancipation.
The villagers fail to see that these women are to weak too defend them-
According to Dr. Mishra the Tonhi menace is no longer restricted to a selves and incapable to do any harm to the entire village. Dr. Mishra feels that
particular village or caste, but is social problem and hence, has to be addressed it is necessary to provide education to the people to liberate them from such
through collective efforts. superstition and dogmatism, otherwise the overall development of the state
would remain a distant dream. “To make it a reality, to entire state
Expressing outrage over the condition of women, Dr. Mishra said, women administration, Non Government Organisations, and societies of the state must
work unitedly towards the goal,” said Dr. Mishra.
 Darkness before coming to world ....
The business of sex pre-selection at Birth in Chhattisgarh
(adapted from Rajendra Soni)

The business of sex determination centres is running un-

checked in the state capital of Chhattisgarh.Many Nursing Homes are
operating sonography machines, which are used for illegal along with Part - II
legal purposes. Some time back eleven nursing homes were closed
down owing to misuse of sonography. Illegal termination of pregnancy
and sex determination take place at the clinics of most of gynecolo- Statistics on Crimes Against Women :
gists. On entering a nursing home you can invariably find a board pro-
claiming “We donot under take sex determination “ The fact is how- The Data from Chhattisgarh
ever, that the board belies the truth.Many clinics still practice sex pre
determination and pre selection ( a euphemism for the destruction of
female foetus)Charges can vary between Rs. 200 to Rs. 2000.
Section 1
According to the State Director of Health services Dr. R.
Rajmani, awareness compaign has been launched to prevent the kill-
ing of female foetus inside mother’s womb. The campaign has adopted Data before the formation of the state of Chhattisgarh
a multi pronged approach from the fixing of big posters, advertisement
hoardings and through showing street plays from cities to remote
villages.All these measures however, have failed to ensure the suc- Section 2
cess of campaign. During the last six months between twenty five and
fifty thousand foetus death took place through abortion after sex de-
termination test. According to state government, in order to prevent Data after the creation of the State of Chhattisgarh
foetus deaths , the health department is setting up Control Rooms in
every district. Social workers are proposed to be kept in the advisory
committee of control rooms vigilence committees.

State government under the new rule has been trying to cre-
ate awareness against killing of foetus and an attempt has been
made to check it. A provision has been kept for fine of one thou-
sand rupees for doctors found to be involved in illegal practice along
with three years of imprisonment. On being found involved for sec-
ond time fine may rise to fifty thousand and five years jail, informed
Dr. V. Jaiprakash In charge Officer PNDT after a meeting in this
regard.
 Crimes Against Women
(1995 to 1999)
Section 1
S r. N o . State/District 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
The T a b l e s t h a t f o l l o w a r e b a s e d o n D a t a p r e s e n t e d
by Centre for Women’s Development Studies in a publica- 1. Bastar 254 1 1 10 132 129
tion on Crimes Against Women, 2002. Please note that the 2. Bilaspur 702 159 177 254 307
data refers to seven districts as against the present num- 3. Dantewada 80 9 0 55 61
ber of 16 districts. 4. Durg 482 81 87 521 579
5. Raigarh 295 50 31 181 146
6. Raipur 713 98 58 584 370
In 2001 the seven districts existing up to that time 7. Rajnandgaon 285 16 32 231 264
in the area that later formed the state of Chhattisgarh, were 8. Sarguja 523 58 62 474 503
broken up as follows:

1. Raipur - R a i p u r, M a h a s a m u n d ,
Dhamtari
Total Congnizable Crimes
2. Durg - Durg (1995 to 1999)
3. Rajnandgaon - Rajnandgaon, Kawardha
S r. N o . State/District 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
4. Bastar - B a s t a r, D a n t e w a d a , K a n k e r
5. Bilaspur - B i l a s p u r, C h a m p a - J a n j g i r, 1. Bastar 2877 2613 2448 1987 1987
Korba
2. Bilaspur 8555 8445 9161 4063 4060
6. Sarguja - Sarguja, Koriya 3. Dantewada 1210 1116 1138 991 923
7. Raigarh - Raigarh, Jashpur 4. Durg 5978 6225 7203 7040 6906
5. Raigarh 2607 2903 2545 2118 1619
The later tables in this section follow the current 6. Raipur 9350 7772 7427 7143 5282
division of districts. 7. Rajnandgaon 2763 3019 2916 2605 2508
8. Sarguja 4020 3825 4101 3392 3102
 Rape
(1995 to 1999) Dowry Deaths (1995 to 1999)

S r. N o . State/District 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 S r. N o . State/District 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

1. Bastar 74 61 67 50 47 1. Bastar 3 0 1 0 1
2. Bilaspur 120 129 138 65 58 2. Bilaspur 17 17 24 16 15
3. Dantewada 28 35 29 20 22 3. Dantewada 0 0 0 0 0
4. Durg 118 165 155 166 129 4. Durg 1 1 17 7 0 12
5. Raigarh 74 80 59 50 35 5. Raigarh 2 5 6 3 10
6. Raipur 177 173 161 171 101 6. Raipur 7 5 7 0 0
7. Rajnandgaon 69 72 105 64 80 7. Rajnandgaon 1 1 6 0 0 3
8. Sarguja 147 148 131 170 146 8. Sarguja 1 4 2 5 3

Molestation Kidnapping and Abduction of Women and Girls

(1995 to 1999) (1995 to 1999)

S r. N o . State/District 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 S r. N o . State/District 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

1. Bastar 120 81 100 62 54 1. Bastar 29 27 23 9 8

2. Bilaspur 306 201 362 89 133 2. Bilaspur 31 31 24 9 10
3. Dantewada 35 26 18 27 28 3. Dantewada 15 6 14 6 6
4. Durg 246 206 287 231 260 4. Durg 17 24 26 20 26
5. Raigarh 163 161 175 81 70 5. Raigarh 23 37 25 1 1 12
6. Raipur 228 242 268 254 151 6. Raipur 30 20 40 34 37
7. Rajnandgaon 147 122 113 99 110 7. Rajnandgaon 19 15 16 26 13
8. Sarguja 247 256 293 213 249 8. Sarguja 44 36 35 32 38
 Cruelty by Husband and His Relatives
(1995 to 1999)

S r. N o . State/District 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

1. Bastar 22 1 1 10 9 12
2. Bilaspur 209 159 177 54 82
3. Dantewada 2 9 0 2 4 Section 2
4. Durg 65 81 87 70 118
5. Raigarh 20 50 31 27 16
6. Raipur 131 98 58 69 38 This data refers to the Police Districts
7. Rajnandgaon 32 16 32 31 45
in the New State of Chhattisgarh. By
8. Sarguja 69 58 62 51 61
and large the police districts conform

Sexual Harassment to the revenue districts with exception

(1995 to 1999)
of Balrampur and Bijapur which are

S r. N o . State/District 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 only districts from the point of view of

1. Bastar 6 9 7 2 7 police administration.

2. Bilaspur 19 21 14 21 9
3. Dantewada 0 0 1 0 1
4. Durg 25 27 33 34 34
5. Raigarh 13 12 3 9 3
6. Raipur 140 80 85 56 43
7. Rajnandgaon 7 20 3 1 1 13
8. Sarguja 15 7 7 3 6
 Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against
Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against
women in Mahasamund District
women in Raipur District
Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002
Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002

1 Murder 19 34 25 1 Murder 9 6 6

2 Attempt to murder 9 10 1 1 2 Attempt to murder 3 5 3

3 Murder for Dowry by 3 Murder for Dowry by

burning and by other means - - -
burning and by other means - - -

4 Hurt 63 92 78 4 Hurt 23 35 28

5 Grievous Hurt 21 31 26 5 Grievous Hurt 5 6 8

6 Molestation 164 254 247

6 Molestation 84 7 1 70

7 Kidnapping 18 21 45
7 Kidnapping 3 6 0
8 Rape 112 104 148
8 Rape 27 34 31
Total 406 546 580
Total 154 163 146

Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available. Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available.
Source: State Crimes Record Bureau. Source: State Crimes Record Bureau.
These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC
 Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against
women in Dhamtari District women in Durg District

Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002

Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002

1. Murder 7 7 5
1. Murder 1 1 23 19

2. Attempt to murder 0 2 2
2. Attempt to murder 12 9 18

3. Murder for Dowry by

3. Murder for Dowry by
burning and by other means - - -
burning and by other means - - -

4. Hurt 7 9 15
4. Hurt 78 49 44

5. Grievous Hurt 3 7 3
5. Grievous Hurt 23 21 24

6. Molestation 51 48 54
6. Molestation 261 306 294

7. Kidnapping 4 4 2
7. Kidnapping 28 31 3

8. Rape 20 27 21
8. Rape 136 144 132

Total 92 104 102

Total 549 583 534

Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available.

Source: State Crimes Record Bureau.
These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on
Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available.
Source: State Crimes Record Bureau.
MAC
These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC
 Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against
women in Rajnandgaon District women in Bilaspur District

Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002 Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002

1. Murder 10 1 1 13 1. Murder 25 23 16

2. Attempt to murder 3 5 1 2. Attempt to murder 6 6 1 1

3. Murder for Dowry by 3. Murder for Dowry by

burning and by other means - - - burning and by other means - - -

4. Hurt 26 16 16 4. Hurt 102 45 58

5. Grievous Hurt 2 1 5 5. Grievous Hurt 26 16 19

6. Molestation 110 103 109 6. Molestation 209 180 199

7. Kidnapping 7 2 0 7. Kidnapping 21 19 14

8. Rape 63 58 60 8. Rape 54 69 72

Total 221 196 204 Total 443 358 389

Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available. Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available.
Source: State Crimes Record Bureau. Source: State Crimes Record Bureau.
These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC
 Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against
women in Kawardha District women in Janjgir District

Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002 Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002

1. Murder 16 14 1 1
1. Murder 10 6 9

2. Attempt to murder 2 3 2
2. Attempt to murder 4 0 1

3. Murder for Dowry by 3. Murder for Dowry by

burning and by other means - - -
burning and by other means - - -
4. Hurt 26 42 54
4. Hurt 13 34 26
5. Grievous Hurt 12 8 5
5. Grievous Hurt 3 9 1
6. Molestation 94 112 105
6. Molestation 66 48 49
7. Kidnapping 8 5 7
7. Kidnapping 0 0 0
8. Rape 53 29 42
8. Rape 29 32 20
Total 211 213 226
Total 125 129 106

Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available.

Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available.
Source: State Crimes Record Bureau.
Source: State Crimes Record Bureau.
These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC
These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC
 Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against
women in Korba District women in Sarguja District

Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002 Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002

1. Murder 14 15 14 1. Murder 31 49 45

2. Attempt to murder 2 1 3 2. Attempt to murder 10 7 4

3. Murder for Dowry by 3. Murder for Dowry by

burning and by other means - - - burning and by other means - - -

4. Hurt 38 31 27 4. Hurt 9 14 18

5. Grievous Hurt 8 12 5 5. Grievous Hurt 6 16 15

6. Molestation 80 85 106 6. Molestation 261 223 202

7. Kidnapping 5 6 0 7. Kidnapping 31 12 0

8. Rape 37 41 40 8. Rape 131 145 142

Total 184 191 195 Total 409 466 426

Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available. Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available.
Source: State Crimes Record Bureau. Source: State Crimes Record Bureau.
These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC
 Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against
Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against women in Jashpur District
women in Raigarh District
Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002
Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002
1. Murder 14 14 23
1. Murder 18 18 10
2. Attempt to murder 2 5 6
2. Attempt to murder 4 3 3
3. Murder for Dowry by
3. Murder for Dowry by
burning and by other means - - -
burning and by other means - - -
4. Hurt 15 13 7
4. Hurt 18 27 14
5. Grievous Hurt 9 12 12
5. Grievous Hurt 6 16 10
6. Molestation 43 44 43
6. Molestation 83 85 127
7. Kidnapping 9 2 0
7. Kidnapping 6 8 12
8. Rape 42 35 35
8. Rape 50 46 30
Total 134 125 126
Total 185 203 206

Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available.

Source: State Crimes Record Bureau. Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available.
These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC Source: State Crimes Record Bureau.
These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC
 Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against
women in Koriya District women in Kanker District

Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002 Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002

1. Murder 9 12 6 1. Murder 1 1 9 5

2. Attempt to murder 4 7 1 2. Attempt to murder 1 2 2

3. Murder for Dowry by 3. Murder for Dowry by

burning and by other means - - - burning and by other means - - -

4. Hurt 27 26 35 4. Hurt 16 4 3

5. Grievous Hurt 12 15 16 5. Grievous Hurt 4 0 5

6. Molestation 105 91 88 6. Molestation 4 36 34

7. Kidnapping 7 8 10 7. Kidnapping 2 1 0

8. Rape 38 32 52 8. Rape 23 39 35

Total 202 191 208 Total 61 91 84

Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available. Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available.
Source: State Crimes Record Bureau. Source: State Crimes Record Bureau.
These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC
 Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against
women in Jagdalpur District women in Dantewara District

Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002 Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002

1. Murder 1 7 1 7 1 1 1. Murder 23 15 7

2. Attempt to murder 6 2 3 2. Attempt to murder 3 3 0

3. Murder for Dowry by 3. Murder for Dowry by

burning and by other means - - - burning and by other means - - -

4. Hurt 32 35 20 4. Hurt 10 4 4

5. Grievous Hurt 7 4 3 5. Grievous Hurt 2 5 2

6. Molestation 60 51 57 6. Molestation 21 18 19

7. Kidnapping 14 4 0 7. Kidnapping 2 7 1

8. Rape 66 59 46 8. Rape 15 19 9

Total 202 172 140 Total 76 7 1 42

Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available.

Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available.
Source: State Crimes Record Bureau.
Source: State Crimes Record Bureau.
These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC
These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC
 Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against
women in GRP Raipur women in Balrampur

Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002 Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002

1. Murder 1 0 1 1. Murder - 7 7

2. Attempt to murder 0 0 1 2. Attempt to murder - 0 1

3. Murder for Dowry by 3. Murder for Dowry by

burning and by other means - - -
burning and by other means - - -

4. Hurt 5 0 1
4. Hurt - 5 6

5. Grievous Hurt 0 0 0
5. Grievous Hurt - 2 1

6. Molestation 8 4 3
6. Molestation - 20 36

7. Kidnapping 1 0 0
7. Kidnapping - 0 0

8. Rape 0 0 5
8. Rape - 12 32

Total 15 4 1 1
Total - 46 83

Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available.

Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available. Source: State Crimes Record Bureau.
Source: State Crimes Record Bureau. These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC
These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC
 Statistics on cases reported on Crimes against
women in Bijapur

Sr. No. Particular 2000 2001 2002

1. Murder - 0 1

2. Attempt to murder - 0 0

3. Murder for Dowry by

burning and by other means - - -

Part - III
4. Hurt - 1 7

5. Grievous Hurt - 0 1 Supportive Structures to

6. Molestation - 0 4
Combat Violence
7. Kidnapping - 0 0

8. Rape - 3 8

Total - 4 21

Note : The columns with no figures indicate information not available.

Source: State Crimes Record Bureau.
These Crime figures (tentative ) are based on MAC
 Chhattisgarh State Policy for
Support Services to Counter
Women Empowerment
1. Strategic Intent and Approach

Women in Chhattisgarh are visible in every walk of life, be

it in agriculture, collection and processing of the State’s rich
forest wealth or in construction/wage work in urban areas.
Contrary to the situation in many parts of the country, Chhattisgarh
enjoys a comparatively favourable position in terms of women’s
population reflected in the sex ratio i.e. 990 per 1000 males. How-
ever, the sustenance of this women’s proportion is a chal-
lenge.
Section- I
The State recognises the need for increased participation
of women for achieving rapid social, economic and cultural
State Policy on Women’s development of the state, which is one of the stated agenda of
Vision 2010. The effective integration and participation of women
Empowerment in the process of development would be guided by political will
and commitment. In order to achieve this the State would have to
address a number of issues including gender based occupational
stereotyping, male selective in-migration in the context of
industrialisation, female illiteracy, impeding cultural practices and
attitudes, dominance of women in marginal employment, lack of
access to basic facilities, discrimination against the girl child etc.

The Constitution of India not only grants equality to women

but also empowers the State to adopt measures and frame
policies of positive discrimination in favour of women. Therefore,
this policy aims to create an environment, which enables women
to effectively contribute in the process of economic and social
transformation and not be merely a passive beneficiary.
Accordingly, the objectives of this policy are to :
 2.1 Legal Measures
n Facilitate a conducive environment to enable women to
realise their full potential and promote self reliance.
n Adopt, enact, review and revise wherever necessary laws
n Achieve equality in access to economic resources
to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women.
including forests, common property, land and other means
of production. n Extend land rights to women and encourage co-ownership
n Ensure participation of women in social, political and of property by women to other productive assets like house,
economic life of the state. shop, factory, etc.
n Encourage NGOs and Women Groups to effectively
participate in the developmental process. n Effective enforcement of all relevant legal provisions
including Equal Remuneration Act, Minimum Wages Act,
To meet these objectives, the State has identified specific Child Marriage Restraint Act, etc.
initiatives, which include.
n Enforcement of Dowry Prevention Act and effective legal
n Creating a responsive statutory and institutional action against domestic violence and harassment of
mechanism. women at place of work.
n Integrating Gender perspective in Economic Development.
n Creating an enabling environment for Social Development n Public advocacy and swift legal redressal shall be ensured
of women . in cases where women are deprived of rights that are
already secured under law.
The State will set up Committee for policy review and
implementation to be headed by Minister-in-charge with n Create mass consciousness and provide legal awareness
representatives from the Department of Women and Child about women’s rights.
Development, State Women Commission, NGOs, community
based organisations, other Government departments, etc. This n Implement laws regarding prenatal sex selection, practices
committee would work in coordination with various departments of female infanticide, child marriage, etc., to eliminate all
to draw up detailed action plan for every sector in line with the forms of discrimination against the girl child.
initiatives outlined in this policy.
n Consider providing concessions in court fees for poor and
2. Implementation Outline - Creating a Responsive Legal landless women litigants.
& Institutional Mechanism
n Deployment of women police personnel in rural police
In order to create a non-discriminatory as well as gender stations to the extent possible.
sensitive legal environment and strengthen the institutional
mechanism to elevate the status of women, the State would
take the following measures:

2.2 Institutional Capacity Building
n Earmark at least 10% of social sector spending for
supporting women’s income generating activities.
n Encourage access to low cost credit to women groups
through Financial Institutions. Special mechanism/cell/
Kosh could be set up under the Department of Women and
Child Development to facilitate access to such credit. The
State would also make special efforts to enhance the
outreach of credit to women especially those below the pov-
erty line.
n Encourage participation of women at all levels especially
in government local bodies, advisory boards, trusts, etc.
The government would consider reserving one third of the
membership in such bodies for women. Women would also
be involved in review of various policies of the state and
their implementation.
n Set up a resource centre for women within the existing
administrative structure for collection, collation and
dissemination of information, conducting surveys, as well
as evaluation and tracking progress of women
empowerment through measurable goals in line with
Vision 2010.
n Encourage formation of Mahila Mandals and facilitate their
registration at minimum possible fees. The Self Help
Groups would be encouraged to act as effective forums to
promote women interests especially at grassroot levels.
n Undertake gender sensitisation of police force.
n Set-up and strengthen existing systems of Women Cells in
Police Stations, Family Courts, Legal Aid Centres, Counsel-
ling Centres, etc.
n Ensure independent and effective working of the State
Commission for Women.
n The State would ensure participation of women in schemes
and programmes of every department in co-ordination of
the Department of Women and Child Development with
other departments viz. Health, Education, Industry, Forest,
etc.
n Provision of at least one women member in the interview
Boards.
3. Implementation Outline - Integrating Gender Perspec-
tive in Economic Development
In view of the important role of women in the labour force
and their contribution to the economic development of the State,
the State will make concentrated efforts to ensure incorporation
of the women’s development dimension in to the various sectors.
Accordingly, the State would take the following measures :-
3.1 Agriculture & Allied Sectors
n Encouragement and recognition of women as farmers.
Research and technical innovations will be encouraged to
reorient the administrative machinery of agriculture to ca-
ter to the needs of women.
n Encourage women farmers to practice mixed farming
including cereals, pulses, oil seeds, roots, tubers, etc., and
their preservation to enhance the role of women in food
security. The State would also encourage women in villages
to take up organic farming.

n Promote the development of dairy, sericulture, fisheries,
horticulture and floriculture under the management of
active women’s groups. To enable the women to work
effectively in these areas, training programmes for women
and women’s groups will be organised in the processing,
value addition and marketing aspects of these activities.
n Encourage the use of common lands in rural areas by
women groups to cater to the fuel and fodder needs of the
villages.
n Encourage women to pursue higher studies in agriculture
and agricultural management.
n Facilitate special training programmes for women in
modern and developed farming techniques.
3.2 Water & Sanitation
n Provision of potable water to all villages would be the
immediate priority of the state in line with the Vision 2010
thereby reducing the burden on women in terms of
carrying heavy headloads of water.
n Facilitate the access to safe drinking water resources by
facilitating access to hand-pumps, etc., within accessible
reach of households especially in rural areas and urban
slums. Women groups will be encouraged to take up the
management and maintenance of hand pumps.
n Generate awareness among women groups in rural areas
regarding the problems of waste disposal especially in
rural areas. The State will make provision for waste
disposal separately for bio-degradable and non
bio-degradable wastes in co-ordination with civic
authorities for their timely disposal. The State would encour-
age women groups to come forward to claim respon-
sibility for management of sanitation units. The State shall
also make efforts to encourage sanitation programmes in
rural and urban areas.
n In view of the existence and multiple uses of ponds in the
village of Chhattisgarh, the State shall make efforts to
provide separate ghats for women and proper facilities for
changing of clothes.
n Encourage training in coordination with reputed NGOs and
other organisations on watershed and water conservation
activities .
3.3 Industry
n Provide training to women to promote skills for income
generating activities like handloom weaving, traditional
Chhattisgarh arts, handicrafts, terracotta, sale of compost,
collection of waste, use of sewing machines as well as fo-
cus on information Technology, Biotechnology. etc.
n Encourage development of cottage and handicraft
industries where an increased role is envisaged for women.
n Encourage part time jobs with flexible timings for increased
women participation. The state will encourage corporates,
government bodies to draw up women friendly personnel
policies and provision of social security benefits, support
services for women i.e. creches at work places, security,
welfare programmes, transportation, etc.
n Facilitate rural women’s access to capital, technology
know-how and other productive resources for increased
work opportunities.
 the State. To address their issues the state would :
n Provide additional incentives equivalent to 10% of the n Facilitate the formation of women groups and their training
capital investment or Rs. 0.2 million (Rs. 2 Lakhs) per for collection, value added processing, preservation,
annum, whichever is less, for a period of 5 years to storage and trade of non timber forest produce, which is
medium and large scale industries where women poised to be a major source of revenue for the State.
constitute more than 30% of the workforce in line with the
industrial policy of the state. n Encourage women for plantation, management and
marketing of commercial forest species specially
n Encourage development of managerial and medicinal plants.
entrepreneurial skills to encourage self employment.
n Encourage formation of Mahila Mandals/Self Help Groups
n To promote women’s participation in the use of solar with a focus on Joint Forest Management activities.
energy, biogas, smokeless chulahs, etc. which help in
conservation of environment. n Give special emphasis to development of women of the
primitive tribes of the state.
n Take suitable measures to enable women work till late or
in night shift in organisations accompanied by support n Ensure access to safe drinking water and foodstock, health
services such as security, transportation, etc. services on a priority basis for tribal women. The Public
Distribution System (PDS) will be strengthened and
n Provide necessary mechanisms for marketing of goods increased participation of women in the PDS vigilance
produced by women. mechanism will be ensured.
n Technical assistance for enhancing the skills of women 4. Implementation Outline - Creating an Enabling
engaged in traditional work and availability of raw material Environment
at reasonable prices.
For Social Development
n Promote participation of women and women group’s in
extraction of mineral resources. The State recognises that attempts at bringing about
changes in the status of women through legislation or economic
n Encourage setting up of “Mahila Sahakari Nagrik Banks” development is not sustainable without a simultaneous movement
in the state. to change the underlying social values, trends and attitudes. In
view of this interlinkage adequate emphasis would be given to
3.4 Forest provide the much needed impetus to the social development of
women. Accordingly, the State would take the following
With 44% area of the State under forest, the tribal women measures :-
in the forest areas constitute a large population of the women in
 related to sexually transmitted diseases (like AIDS etc.).
4.1 Health Care and Nutrition
n Promote establishing separate hospitals/cells for mentally
handicapped women.
n Ensure women have access to affordable and proper
health care, information and related services.
n Initiate necessary action to establish separate women
hospital in the state.
n Increased investment in women’s education and health
which have direct impact in reducing fertility and mortality
n Promotion of mid-wife training programmes to encourage
rates and increased social returns.
institutional deliveries.
n Ensure implementation of laws regarding registration of
4.2 Education
marriages, births and deaths to effectively meet the
problems of early marriage and infant and maternal
n Promote societal awareness to gender issues and women’s
mortality.
rights as part of course curriculum.
n Provide health training (Particularly in reproductive and
n Formulate special measures to increase enrolment and
child health) to women. The State would undertake
retention rate of girls.
special efforts to meet the nutrient needs especially
amongst pregnant and lactating women through education
n Reduce fees/promote free education for girls belonging to
and encouraging participation of women in the planning
SC,ST, backward communities specially below the
and delivery of the system.
poverty line.
n Expand and intensify access to safe, effective and
n Encourage women/girls to get trained in self defence.
affordable methods of Family Planning especially in the
rural and tribal area.
n Organise vocational and job oriented couselling and
training exclusively for women to enable them to opt for
n Increase women’s knowledge related to her power to
courses relevant to their talents and interests.
exercise choice with respect to conception or abortion of
child.
n Make efforts to promote functional literacy with special
emphasis on viable economic skills, etc.
n Encourage local women organisations/Self Help Groups
to participate in primary health care activities including
n To promote skill development training programmes for
traditional medicine and measures to promote self care and
women with the help of polytechincs and technical
increased community care.
institutes in the private sector.
n Undertake gender sensitive initiatives that address issues
n Facilitate provisions of assistance/loan through various support.
agencies for professional courses to needy women.
n Suitable measures for setting up of “Kishori Balika Griha”
n Special Action Plan to provide education and health care in Chhattisgarh.
for adolescent girls. Provision for spread of the network of
Ashrams and hostels for girls as per requirement. n Encourage setting up of safe accommodation for working
and single women.
n Necessary efforts will be made to encourage women in
Sports.
4.4 Social Welfare & Cultural Aspects
n Incorporate moral education (value based) in the course
curriculum of the educational institutions. n Discourage the role of media and advertising, which affect
consumer ideology adversely and contribute to the growth
n Inclusion of course curriculum related with legendary of culture of violence against women. The media would be
women of Chhattisgarh and related cultural and historical encouraged to develop codes of conduct, guidelines to
aspects. combat negative images of women, portray successful
women as role models and act as a catalyst to promote the
n Encourage girls for technical and scientific education. human dignity of women. The State would encourage
enrolment of women in journalism and mass
4.3 Housing & Shelter communication.

n Encourage inclusion of women’s prespectives in planning
of housing and provision of shelter in rural and urban
areas so as to ensure that the benefits of housing,
essential services and community facilities are directed to
women in general.
n Examine the customary practices and belief systems and
take steps to mitigate the negative and unacceptable
elements that degrade women through education, penal
action, etc. Efforts would be made to make the customary
laws more rational and logical through education.

n Preferential allotment of plots and houses to women by n Evolve special programmes for women victims of
public agencies. systematic cultural and social violence such as for women
persecuted as “Tonhis”
n Set up homes and rehabilitation centres and orphanages
with provision for medical, psychological and economic n Discourage domestic violence through media and
rehabilitation for women victims of marital violence, so- awareness campaigns and make it a legally culpable
cietal callousness, etc. The government will encourage offence.
NGOs across the State in setting up and running these
centres and provide other financial and infrastructural n Effective implementation of “Nashabandi Karyakram” to
 discourage alcoholism among males, which bears a large
share of responsibility for the domestic violence perpetrated
on women. Rights for closure of the sale outlet would vest
with the Gram Sabha as per the State Excise Policy.

n Strict enforcement of rules to deal with trafficking in women.

n Formulate special protective measures including social

security for vulnerable sections of women including
widows, handicapped women, women in distress and
particularly below the poverty line, etc. This will include
effective implementation of schemes like Indira Sahara
Yojana.

n Introduce measures to encourage widow remarriage.

n Undertake if necessary with help of NGOs interstate

tie-ups to ensure legal and social security for migrant
women. Steps would be taken to increase employment and
effective potential of labour absorption in rural areas as well.

n Jathas to debunk the superstitions associated with

instances of systematic violence shall be linked up to
People’s Science networks and educational programmes.

n Special measures for the rehabilitation of women in

prisons and their dependent children.

n
 Supportive Structures for Women Including Women in
Distress and Victims of Violence in the State

MAHASAMUND DISTRICT

Family Counselling Centres

Section - II Name
Address
-
-
Pariwar Paramarshdatri
Mahasamund , C.G.
President - Collector
Member - Shri Arun Shukla
District wise listing of supportive Member - Smt. Anita Rawte Phone- 222453
structures and services offered Member - Smt. Alka Khatti, (Social Worker)
Phone- 222539
by State Agencies, Non Member - Mira Das (Social Worker ) Ph. 222288
Government Organisations, Trade Member - Smt. Sarita Tiwari, Phone- 222467
Member - Smt. Pramila Shukla, Phone- 222266
Unions and Mass Organisations
N G O s

Name - Rural Life Programme

Address - Mahasamund Chhattisgarh
Director - Smt. Anita Rawte
Phone - 222453, 223790

Name - Kasturba Smarak Nidhi Swasthya

Kendra
Address - Belsonda, Distt. Mahasamund,
Chhattisgarh

Name - Jan Jagriti Kendra

Address - Ranisagar Para, Pithora, District
Mahasamund
Phone - (07707) 271107
Name - Chhattisgarh Mahila Jagriti Sangathan DHAMTARI DISTRICT
Address - Mission Compound, Tumgaon Road,
Mahasamund
Phone - (07723) 222503, 223874 Govt. Structure

Name - Dahej Pratishedh Salahkar Board

Department of Women and Child
Development
Address - Near Nehru Gardan, Dhamtari C.G.
Phone - (07722) 232353
President - Smt. Shashi Gaur

Name - Mahila Utpidan Nivaran Prakosth

Address - Civil Court, Dhamtari,
Phone - (07722) 240153
Councellor - Smt. Priti Shrivastava
Councellor - Sabhiya Raza
Member - Smt. Manjulata Sahu
Member - Smt. Janki Tiwari Dham
tari District
Family Counselling Centres

Name - Jila Pariwarik Paramarsh Kendra

Address - Arjuni Police Station, Distt. Dhamtari
Phone - (07722) 235144, 238265, 238265
Fax - (07722) 38390
President - S P
Counsellor - Mrs. Parwati Vadhvani
Member - Mrs. Shashi Gaur (Social Worker)
Meeting - First Sunday of every month
 N G O s KANKER DISTRICT

Name - Adarsh Mahila Samaj NGOs.

Address - Near Gurudwara, Distt. Dhamtari
Phone - (07722) 237278 (O) 237599 (R) Name - Bhartiya Adimjati Sevak Sangh
President - Smt. Jamaben Address - Short Stay Homes, Liti para,
Vice President - Smt. Anna Begum Kanker, Pin - 494669
Secretary - Smt. Neela Kapadia Phone - (07868) 241113
Joint Secretary - Smt. Pragya Rawat Secretary - Shri Laxmikant Chichankar,
Advisor - Ku. Sumitra Moon
Dispalcement
Officer - Ku. Sunita Ambore
Doctor - Dr. Ishwar Ramani

Name - Disha Samaj Sevi Sanstha,

Role of Family Consultation Centre Address - Jaisakarra, Charama,
District - Kanker, Chhattisgarh
Phone - (07868) 263638
Resident of village Amdi in Dhamtari District Mr. Vijay
Kumar Sahu was married to Bhuneshwari of the same vil- Name - Parivartan
Address - Bardi Bhatha, Kanker
lage. The couple enjoyed a happy married life till an acci-
Bastar, Chhattisgarh
dent made Mr Sahu handicapped and he lost one of his Phone - (07868) 223134
legs to be disturbed both mentally and economically. In be-
tween his wife left her. Mr. Sahu applied family consultation
centre for assistance. On discussion with centre
Bhuneshwari realised her mistake and finally came back
to leave at her in-laws place.
 SARGUJA DISTRICT NGOs.

Name - Manav Sansadhan Sanskriti Vikas

Govt. Structure Parishad
Address - Purani Post Office Road, Darripara,
Ambikapur
Name - Mahila Bal Vikas District Sarguja, Pin - 497001
Address - Lundra Block Phone - (07774) 235361
Ambikapur , Sarguja, C.G. President - Smt. Meera Shukla
Project Officer - Sister Lusi Parera Vice President - Dr. Sushma Sinha
Secretary - Shri Manoj Bharti
Name - Mahila Utpidan Nivaran Samiti Mobile-98261- 42836
Address - Department of Distt. Women and Child Member - Smt. Snehlata Khare,
Development Member - Dr. Fazul H. Doshi
Ambikapur, Sarguja

Name - Mahila Shakti Sangh

Family counselling centres Address - Post office Udaipur (Patrapara)
Distt. Sarguja
Name - Pariwar Paramarsh Kendra, Phone - (07832) 5 1 2 2 4
Address - Holy Cross Girls College, Fax - (07832) 220099
Ambikapur ,Sarguja, President - Shri Anil Singh
Phone - (07774) 230690 Member - Smt. Rambai
President - Collector Member - Smt. Budh Kunwar Bai
Doctor - Sister Jyoti Sharma Member - Smt. Deelkunwar Bai
Counsellor - Smt. Mira Gupta (Advocate ) Member - Smt. Amulya Bai
Advisor - Ku. Punna Jharna Toppo Member - Gendibai
Advisor - Shri Rajesh Keshari
Name - Prabhas
(Gramin Vikash Praksikshan Evam
Shodh Sansthan)
Address - Bhaskar Bhavan, Kedarpur,
Ambikapur , Sarguja, C.G.
Phone - (07774) 220625
Fax - 220099
Name - Samta Mahila Gyan Vigyan Samiti RAJNANDGAON DISTRICT
Address - Pratappur Road, Behind Collector’s
Residence, Ambikapur, Sarguja Govt. Structure
Phone - (07774) 222848
President - Ms. Vandana Dutta Name - Department of Women and Child De-
velopment
Name - Ghandhi Seva Ashram Ambedkar National Social Science
Address - Deviganj Road, Ambikapur, Sanstha
District - Sarguja, Chhattisgarh Pin - 497001 Address - Dongargarh, District - Rajnandgaon,
Phone - (0774) 225302 Chhattisgarh

Family Counselling Centres

Name - Pariwar Paramarsh Kendra

Address - Mahila Prakosth, Behind Kotwali,
Rajnandgaon,Chhattisgarh
Phone - (07744) 227243,
President - Smt. Usha Markam, TI,
Mobile-98271-14260
Counsellor - Smt. Sharda Tiwari (Advocate)
Phone- 227086
Member - Smt. Sheela Kothari (Social Worker)
Phone-226277
Doctor - Dr. Ratna Oswal Phone- 226507
Member - Smt. Alka Mudliyar
Member - Smt. Pragya Kannoje
Member - Dr. Hemlata More, Phone- 226546

N G O s

Name - Abhivyakti Kalyan Samiti

Address - Chikli, Khairagarh Road, Rajnandgaon,
C.G.
Phone - (07744) 228298,
Director - S.N. Mishra, Mobile- 98271- 59662
 Trade Unions and Mass Organisations
Name - Sankalp Sanskritik Samiti Name - Rajnandgaon Kapda Mazdoor Sangh
Address - Chikli, Near Police Station, Address - Motipur, Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh
Rajnandgaon Chhattisgarh. Phone - (7744) 227008
Phone - (07744) 222069, Mobile- 98271- 76727
Director - Chunnilal Sharma
Member - D.C. Sindhi
Member - Pankaj Solanki
Member - Ajay (Social Worker)
Member - Smt. Sangeeta (Nurse)

Name - Shrijan Samajik Sanstha

Address - C/o Shri B.K. Thakur, Ward No. 39, Kerin
Bhata, Rajnandgaon , Chhattisgarh
Email - srijanss@yahoo.com
Member - Sharad Kumar Shrivastava,
Mobile-98271-73727
Member - Atul Raj
Member - Pushan Sahu
Member - Sahbaz Khan
Member - Manisha

Hostel

Name - Kasturba Vasati Griha

Address - Near Veterinary Hospital, Old Rest House
Road, Rajnandgaon
Phone - (07744) 226698, 224735
President - Smt. Sarasvati Maheshwari
Member - Dr. Hemlata More, Phone- 226546
Member - Smt. Pushpa
Member - Anjali Jaiswal
 Director - Fr. Thomas Maichal
BASTAR DISTRICT
President - Fr. Kurian
Secretary - Sister Lisa
Govt. Structure
Name - Mahatma Gandhi Mahila evam Bal
Name - Swadhar Yojna
Kalyan Sansthan
Address - Nagar Nigam Jagdalpur Pin - 494001
Address - Chhalpat Shah Ward, Hikmipara,
Phone - (07782) 222377
Anupama Chowk,Jagdalpur,
President - Commissionar, Nagar Nigam
Pin - 494001
Phone - (07782) 223015
Name - Mahila Prakosth
President - Smt. Naaz Khan
Address - SP Office, Jagdalpur,
Secretary - Smt. K.M. Naidu
District Bastar Pin - 494001
Member - Shri Sukrant Vishwakarma
Phone - (07782) 222170
President - C S P
Name - Mata Rukmani Kanya Ashram
Incharge - Ms. Rajkumari Panday
Address - Post - Dimrapal, District Bastar,
Counsellor - Kumari Uma Panday
Chhattisgarh
Doctor - Dr. Hina Ahmed
Contact - Dharampal Saini
Member - Ms. Naaz Khan (Social Worker )
Name - Vishwas
Family Counseling Centres Address - C/o Ramkrishna MissionNarayanpur,
District Bastar, Chhattisgarh
Name - Pariwar Paramarsh Kendra
(Mahatma Gandhi Mahila Evam Bal
Kalyan Sansthan )
Continuous Quest for Rehabilitation
Address - Hikmi Para, Dalpat Shah Ward,
Anupama Chowk, Jagdalpur, Kavita lost her mother at the age of three and after her death Kavita’s father re-
Bastar, Pin - 494001 married again. When Kavita turned seventeen, she was married to a Bengali youth by her
father. Kavita’s husband Mr. Narayan Mandal was a truck driver and a drank heavily .
Kavita when tried to make her husband free from bad habits was daily beaten up by him. In
N G O s the meantime she became pregnant but even then her husband continued to harass. Few
months later Kavita gave birth to a girl child which made her hope that her husband might
Name - Bastar Sewak Mandal Social Welfare change now. However there was no change . As her daughter approached the age of
seven Kavita lost all hopes of patching up as she continuously faced same miseries of life.
Centre So she left her husband and along with daughter returned back to father’s residence
Address - Catholic Church, Lalbag Jagdalpur, Jagdalpur. Meanwhile she took shelter for three years in Mahila Alpavas Griha, Kanker and
Pin - 494669 took training of stitching, weaving etc. Today Kavita’s daughter is sixteen and studying in
class tenth. She dreams now of giving her child a good education to make her stand on her
Phone - (07782) 264726, 264727 own feet.
Email - mirijl@rediffmail.com
 BILASPUR DISTRICT
Name - Mahila Shiksha Kalyan and
Govt. Structures Prashikshan Parishad
Address - Abhishek Bhawan, Ware house Road,
Bilaspur Pin - 495001
Name - Mahila Utpidan Prakoshth Phone - (07752) 223855, 503681
Address - Department of Women & Child Director - Smt. Hemlata Sahu
Development Member - Ms. Ashalata Sahu
Bilaspur Pin - 495001 Member - Ms. Anita Sahu
Phone - (07752) 230359
President - Collector Name - Vasudha Manch
Member - S P Address - 14- Senior MIG, Nehrunagar Bilaspur
Doctor - B M O Pin - 495001
Doctor - Dr. Meena Gupta Phone - (07752) 225057, Mobile - 94252 - 27650
Counsellor - Smt. Sonali Bose (Advocate) Fax - (07752) 252430
Member - Satyabhama Awasthi Email - humvasudha1999@hotmail.com
Director - Satyabhama Awasthi
Family Counselling Centres
Name - Tribal Development Society
Name - Pariwar Pramarsh Kendra Address - Laxmi Niwas, Ware House Road,
Address - Women Police Station, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh Pin - 495001
Bilaspur, Pin - 495001
Phone - (07752) 236128 Name - Bal Sakha
President - S P Address - Rajkishor Nagar, Near Housing Board
Incharge - Ku. Mamta Sharma Sub Inspactor O f f i c e , B i l a s p u r,
Member - Satyabhama Awasthi (Social Worker) Chhattisgarh, Pin-495001

Trade Unions and Mass Organisations

N G O s
Name - Bhartiya Mahila Federation
Address - Devri- khurd, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh
Name - Gramvikas Mandi (Association Trust) Contact - Neetu Singh Netam
Address - Bada Bazar, Mungeli, Bilaspur,
Pin- 495334
Phone - (07752) 51273
Director - Hafiz Mohammad
 JASHPUR DISTRICT Name - Jashpur Samaj Seva Samiti
Address - Badupara, Post- Musgutary,
District Jashpur, Chhattisgarh
Govt. Structure Contact - Monika Toppo

Name- - Chhattisgarh Bahuuddeshiya Name - Jivan Vikas

Samajsevi Samiti Address - Sadhnalaya,
Address - C/o Anganbadi Prashikshan Kendra, Pathalgaon, District Jashpur,
Jurgum Bhandar Sanna Road, Chhattisgarh,
Distt. Jashpur, Pin - 496336
Phone - (07763) 220282 Name - Raigarh Ambikapur Health
President - Ms. Chandra Mudliyar Association (RAHA)
Secretary - Ms. Kumud Mehar Address - Pathalgaon, District Jashpur
Chhattisgarh

Family Counselling Centres

Name - Pariwar Paramarsh Kendra

Address - SP office, District Jashpur
Phone - (07763) 223240, 223322,
223801, 223802
President - S P
Counselar - Shri Krishna Roy (Advocate)
Member - Dr. Prem Prakash Sharma

N G O s

Name - Mahila Jagriti Sangathan,

Address - Village/Post Golengh, Distt. Jashpur,
Pin- 496386
Phone - (07763) 223217 (PP)
President - Smt. Domnik Bada
Vice President - Salina Minj
Secretary - Ms. Nil Kusum Kujur
 KORBA DISTRICT
N G O S
Govt. Structure
Name - Shodh
Name - Mahila Utpidan Nivaran Prakosth (Social Revival Groups of Urban
Address - Department of W & C Develpment, Rural & Tribal )
Rampur, Distt. Korba, Pin - 495450 Address - H - 25, Irrigation Colony, Darri, Jamnipali,
Phone - (07759) 226618 (O) 226133 (R) Post Korba, Pin - 495450
President - S D M Phone - (07759) 234045
Secretary - Project Officer Director - Advocate Dixon Masih
Member - Womens Doctor
Counsellor - Adovcate
Member - 2 Social Worker Name - Samta Gyan Vigyan Samiti
Member - Peoples Activist Address - C/o Lal Babu Thakur,
Mohlain Bhata,Katghora,
Name - Dahej Pratisedh Salahkar Board District Korba, Chhattisgarh
Department of W & C Development,
Address - Korba, Pin - 495450
Presidant - Smt. Nilam Saloman
Member - Smt. Rama Chourasiya
Member - Smt. Anju Baghel

Family Counselling Centres

Name - Pariwar Pramarsh Kendra

Address - SP Office, Rampur, District Korba
Telefax - (07759) 224500
President - S P
Member - Mrs. Asha Verma, Dr. S. Mahto
Meeting - Every Sunday
 N G O s
RAIGARH DISTRICT
Name - Disha Darshan
Govt. Structure Address - Fuljharia Para, Sarangarh, Distt. Raigarh,
Phone - (07762) 240498
Name - Indira Gandhi Mahila Vasti Grih Director - Mr. Shyama Dubey
Address - Chakradhar Bal Sadan Vice President - Shri Rajesh Gupta
Raigarh Pin - 496001 Member - Shri Daya Ram Sahu, Shri Shyam
Phone - (07762) 231420 Sundar
President - Mr. Krishna Kumar Gupta
Secretary - Shri Gajendra Chidipal Name - Raigarh Sahyog Samiti
Warden - Smt. Nisha Shukla Address - First Floor, Transport Complex,
Near Agroha Bhavan, Mandir Chowk,
Family Counselling Centres Raigarh Pin - 496001

Name - Jila Pariwarik Salahkar Kendra Role of Family Consultation Centre

Address - SP Office, District Rigarh,Pin - 496001
Phone - (07762) 224581, 223333 Tribal girl Rambati, daughter of Chanak Ram Kanwar and
Fax - (07762) 224863 resident of village Kaya under Gharghora came for justice
President - District SP
before the Superintendent of Police Raigarh. She had a physi-
Incharge - Sandhya Rani Koka
Counsellor - Gitanjali Patel (Social Worker) cal relationship with Dhaneshwar, son of Sukhsingh Kanwar
Meeting - every Sunday of village Kaya and was now a mother of new born child.
Other Activities - Affair Cases and Marriage Bureau Mean while Dhaneshwar refused to keep both mother and
son with him and Rambati lodged a case of rape against
Name - Missionaries of Charity
Address - Rambhatha, Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, Dhaneshwar. Looking at the seriousness of incident family
Pin - 496001 Counselling centre immediately swung into action and called
both the sides for a mutual settlement. On being questioned
Name - Lok Shakti Samiti
Dhaneshwar accepted his illicit relationship with Rambati .
Address - Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, Pin - 496001
The counselling centre arranged their marriage to which
Dhaneshwar’s family members gave their mod and both tied
nuptial-knot once and for all. Their child was the guest of
honour at the wedding.
 Counsellor - Smt. Chhaya Roy
RAIPUR DISTRICT Member - Smt. Mamta Verma (Social Worker)
Meeting - First and Second Sunday of every
State Level Structure month

Name - Chhattisgarh Mahila Ayog Short Stay Homes

(Women’s Commission)
Address - Civil Lines, Raipur, Chhattisgarh Name - Missionaries of Charity
Pin - 492001 Address - Rajendra Nagar, Ravigram,
Chair person - Ms. Hemvant Porte Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Pin - 492001
Phone - (0771) 2424115
Incharge - Sr. Carolyne
Govt. Structure
Name - Pt. Ravishankar Shukla Govt. Nari
Name - Mahila and Bal Vikas Vibhag, Niketan
Address - Women and Child Development (Organise by Distt. Women & Child
Directorate Development
Old Nurses Hostel, G.E. Road, Address - Khamardih,Shankar Nagar,
Raipur, Chhattisgarh Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Pin - 492001

N G O s

Name - Dahej Virodhi Salahkar Samiti Name - Kasturba Trust Sanstha

Address - C/o District Women and Child Address - Village - Saragaon, Kharora Road,
Development Officer Collectorate District Raipur C.G.,
Premises, Raipur, Chhattisgarh
Name - Rupantar
Address - A- 26, Surya Apartments,
Family Counselling Centres Katora Talab, Raipur, C.G., Pin - 492001
Phone - (0771) 2424669

Name - Pariwar Paramarsh Kendra Name - Bhartiya Mahila Federation

Address - Mahila Thana Raipur, C.G. Address - Jairam Building, Sharda Chowk,
Phone - (0771) 2423499 Raipur, Chhattisgarh Pin- 492001
President - S P Phone - (0771) 5032176
Incharge - Smt. Sandhya Dviwedi
Name - Chetna Manch Name - Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti
Address - Village - Bhurvadih (Khurd) Address - 255, Sundar Nagar, Raipur, Chhattisgarh
Post - Mohrenga (Kharora) Block - Tilda, Phone - (0771) 2241223
District - Raipur, Chhattisgarh
Pin - 493225 Name - National Association for the Blind
Phone - (0771) 223681 “PRERNA”
Address - Slice No. 3, Housing Board Colony,
Name - Chhattisgarh Bal Evam Vridh Kalyan Veer Sarvarkar Nagar, Hirapur,
Parishad Tatibandh, Raipur, Pin - 492099
Address - Mana Camp, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Phone - (0771) 2573122

Name - Chhattisgarh Voluntary Health Name - Viklang Balika Grih

Association - AIDS Helpline Rehabilitiation Centre for
Address - D- 83, Sector 4, Devendra Nagar, Orthopaedically Handicapped Girls
Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Pin - 492001 Address - Maharashtra Mandal, Samta Colony,
Phone - (0771) 5058700 Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Pin - 492001

Name - Dalit Adivasi Evam Pichada Varg Name - Akanksha

Mahila Kalyan Sangh Address - Lions Den, Telibandha, Raipur,
Address - D-24, Tagore Nagar, Chhattisgarh, Pin - 492001
Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Pin - 492001

Name - Ekta Mahila Samiti Name - Andha Shradha Nirmulan Samiti

Address - Basinpara, Sarswati Chowk, Address - C/o Dr. Dinesh Mishra,
Raipur, Chhattisgarh - 492001 Phool Chowk, Raipur,
Chhattisgarh, Pin - 492001
Name - Gramin Vikas Pratisthan
Address - Sasaholi, Tilda Nevra,
District Raipur, Chhattisgarh Girls Hostel

Name - Panchvati Mahila Hostel

Name - Mahila Kalyan Evam Vikas Samiti Address - (RDA Raipur)
Address - Behind Mahavir School, Gudiyari Behind Collector Office,
Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Pin - 492001 Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Pin - 492001
Phone - (0771) 2511433
Warden - Parvati Chandrakar
Name - Bhawna Mahila Samiti KAWARDHA DISTRICT
Address - EAC Colony, Raipur C.G., Pin - 492001
Phone - (0771) 5017225
Secretary - Smt. Meena Verma Govt. Structures

Trade Unions and Mass Organisations Name - Mahila Utpidan Nivaran Samiti
Department of Distt. Women and Child
Name - Chattisgarh Chemical Mazdoor Development
Sangh (CMM) Address - Kawardha, Chhattisgarh
Address - Shaheed Nagar, Birgaon, Phone - (07741) 232886
Raipur, Chhattisgarh, President - Collector
Phone - (0771) 562488 Block President - S D O
Member - Health Workers & Advocates
Name - Pragatisheel Engineering Shramik Director - P. Salam Distt. W.C.D.
Sangh Project Officer - Smt. Indu Thakur,
Address - Shaheed Nagar, Birgaon, Raipur, Phone- (07741) 233169
Chhattisgarh

Family Counselling Centres

Name - All India Bank Employees Association
(AIBEA)
Address - Kalibadi Premises, Name - Pariwarik Paramarsh Kendra
Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Pin - 492001 Address - Mahila Prakost Distt. Kawardha, C.G.
President - Ku. Manjulata Rathore
Name - All India Insurance Employees Phone - (07741) 233127 (R) 232203 (O)
Association Member - Smt. Rajarani Mishra (Constable)
Address - LIC Building, Pandri, Raipur, Member - Smt. Disha Pathak (Constable)
Chhattisgarh, Pin - 492001 Counsellor - Shri Chandranath Jha (Advocate )
Member - Smt. Snehlata Jain (Social Worker)
Quest for Rehabilitation Member - Smt. Manju Shrivastava (Social Worker)
Sunita Minni (22) , Lodhipara lodged a complaint of dowry torture against her
husband Mr. Dharmendra Minni. Working as middleman in railway and resident of
Ahmedabad Sunita’s husband continuously demanded money by sending Sunita
back to her parents. Initially the case was taken up by family counselling centre and
after pursuance by centre Sunita’s in-laws agreed not to trouble her for dowry.
Receiving assurance, Sunita then went back to her marital home. But few days
later when again Sunita was tortured by her father-in-law, mother-in-law and hus-
band for dowry she was forced to lodge a case of dowry menace against the trio.
 DANTEWADA DISTRICT DISTRICT JANJGIR

Family Counseling Centers Family Counselling centres

Name - Mahila Pariwar Paramarsh Kendra Name - Pariwar Paramarsh Kendra

Address - SP Office, Dantewada - Pin 494113 Address - SP Office, Janjgir,
Phone - (07856) 252340 Phone - (07759) 22093, 22223
President - DSP Smt. Sweta Rajmani President - S P
Counsellor - Smt. Shah Counsellor - Mrs. Vijiya Soni
Doctor - Mrs. V.P. Tirki Incharg - Ku. Seeta Sahu ( Head Constable)
Member - Gayatri Sinha, ASI Meeting - Every Saturday

N G O s
N G O s
Name - Adivasi Harijan Kalyan Samiti
Name - Chhattisgarh Mahila Jagriti Sangathan
Address - Post - Chhindgarh,
Address - Village - Chhotasipat, Malkharoda,
District Dantewara, Chhattisgarh
District- Champa - Janjgir, Chhattisgarh

Hostel

Name - Nari Niketan

(Department of W & C Development )
Address - Tripathi Colony, Dantewada,
Pin - 494113
President - Smt. Saroj Thakur
Incharge - W & C development Officer
Member - Smt. Sunita Jain
 N G O s
DURG DISTRICT
Name - Mini Mata Mahila Samiti
Govt. Structure Address - 123/H, Risali Sector, Bhilai,
Durg, Chhattisgarh, Pin- 490006
Name - Jila Saksharta Paramarsh Kendra Contact Person - Riti Deshlahara
Address - Jila Saksharta Kendra, Durg
Phone - (0788) 2211821
Counsellor - Ms. Saroj Singh All Eyes were Moist
Member - Dr. Shail Verma
Member - Smt. Shantilata Verma (Social Worker)
Suman Bai of Dalli Rajahara was married to Gautam Mandavi. As
Name - Jila Saksharta Samiti Suman Bai became pregnant doctor declared her case to be com-
Address - Padmanabhpur, Durg, Chhattisgarh plicated. Her parents brought their daughter with them for delivery
Family Counselling Centres where she gave birth to a girl child through Surgery. On hearing the
news Gautam Mandavi went to see his daughter and wife but Suman
Name - Mahila Pariwarik Paramarsh Kendra Bai’s parents did not allow Gautam to meet both the mother and
Address - Mahila Police Station Durg,
child. This went on for about three months and finally Gautam filed
President - Additional SP
Member - Smt. Anjana Shrivastva, a report at police station.
Member - Gayatri Tamrakar (Social Worker)
Meeting - Every Wednesday Both the sides were called upon to discuss the case. Suman’s
mother said that her daughter may be tortured by in-laws as she has
Name - Mahila Paramarsh Kendra,
Address - Mahila Police Station, Old Bus Stand, given birth to a girl.
Durg, Chhattisgarh
Teacher - Dr. Vibha Sinha, Both the sides entered into a mutual agreement that this would not
Phone - (0788) 2321862,
happen after counselling was done. The process of counselling went
Member - Smt. Jyoti Sharma
Phone - (0788) 2225632 on for three months and the father could see the face of his daughter
Member - Smt. Kamani Tiwari when she was six months. When Gautam took the child in his lap,
Phone - (0788) 2359697 members of family counselling centre felt their eyes getting moist .
Doctor - Dr. Shail Verma
Counsellor - Ku. Saroj Singh (Advocate )
Phone - (0788) 2353704
 Trade Unions and Mass Organisations Telephone Numbers of Police Administration
Name - Chhattisgarh Shramik Sangh Police Station Bilaspur
Address - C/o CMM, Office, Labour Camp,
Jamul, Bhilai, District Durg, Chhattisgarh Police Station/Designation Office Residence
Phone - (0788) 228550
IG 07752-223636
Name - Chhattisgarh Mines Shramik Sangh, SP(BSP) 07752-223330
(TU) SP(KBA) 07759-224500
Address - Dalli Rajhara, District Durg, Chhattisgarh SP(JGR) 07817-222153
SP(RGH) 07762-223333
Name - Mahila Mukti Morcha (C.M.M.)
Address - Labour Camp, Jamul, Bhilai Police Station Durg
District Durg, Chhattisgarh
Phone - (0788) 228550
SP 0788-2322071 2322003
ASP (Gramin) 0788-2323626 2242704
ASP(City) 0788-2355476
CSP 0788-2219393
Kotwali Police Station 0788-2210055
Mohan Nagar Police Station 0788-2210570
Pulgaon Police Station 0788-2323452
Mahila Police Station 0788-2211337
ST/SC Police Station 0788-2211337
Police Line Police Station 0788-2211660
District Jail 0788-2322964

Police Station Bastar

IG 07782-222752 222753
SP 07782-222336 222303
Kotwali Police Station 07782-222350 228899
Bodhghat Police Station 07782-222448
Parpa 07782-222237
Nagarnar 07782-265232 SP (KRA) 07836-232223
Lohandimud 07782-288240 SP (BLR) 07831-273800
Kondagaon 07782-242239
SDOP Kondagaon 07782-242310 242309 Police Station Raipur
Keshkal

Police Control Room 2422401

Police Station Kawardha
DIG Raipur 0771-2423654
SP Raipur 0771-2426540
SP 07741-232375 232487 ASP (Additional)(Gramin) 0771-2427316
Pipriya Police Station 07741-262652 ASP (City) 0771-2423616
Lohara Police Station 07741-261552 SP Vigilence 0771-2424418
Bodia Police Station 07741-53432 Regional Supritendant 0771-2423670
Chilphi Police Station 07741-254214 CSP Civil Lines 0771-2424405
Pandariya Police Station 07741-254134 Amanaka Police Station 0771-2323413
Kawardha Police Station 07741-232203 Azad Chowk Police Station 0771-2229128
City Kotwali Police Station 0771-2538301
Civil Lines Police Station 0771-2424406
Police Station Dantewara GRP 0771-2524116
Ganjpara Police Station 0771-2525519
SP 07856-252224 252225 Vishesh Thana (SC/ST) 0771-2524179
Police Station Dantewara 07856-252204 Khamtarai Police Station 0771-2562157
IG Naxlite 07856-252286 Mahila Police Station 0771-2422401
ASP Dantewara 07856-252340 Gole Bazar Police Station 0771-2227929
Police Control Room 07856-252407 Purani Basti Police Station 0771-2227929
SP Bijapur 07856-220392 220246 Pt. RSU, Police Station 0771-2254496
ASP Bijapur 220393 Traffic Police Station 0771-2229784
DSP Bijapur 220248 Tikrapara Police Station 0771-2272831
Thana 07856-220224 Mudhapara Police Station 0771-2534179
Mova Police Station 0771-2282499
Police Station Sarguja
Rape Cases on The Upswing
Twenty two months since the formation of Chhattisgarh state one thousand seven hun-
IG 07774-240158 dred and tirty six rape cases has been reported so far. A total number of one 1982 alleged
SP (SJA) 07774-220604 in said cases have been arrested and sixty five left own are still absconding of the figures
five hundred and two cases have been registered within a period of six months in between
SP (JSP) 07763-223240
March 1, 2002 and August 31, 2002 .
 Our Rights
Women Rights related to Police
Rights During Interrogation
You have the right

· To refuse to be taken to the police station or anywhere else for interrogation

· To be questioned only at your residence and in the presence of your family
members

Rights at the Time of arrest

You have the right

· To ask for the reasons for your arrest

· Not be handcuffed at the time of your arrest
PART - IV · To demand that you be produced before magistrate within 24 hours of your
arrest
· To take along you’re relative or friend to the police station.

Women’s Rights : The Legal Framework Rights in the police Station

You have the right

· To demand that you should be placed in a female lockup

· To ask a magistrate for your medical examination if you are beaten, abused
or tortured by the police.

Rights at the time of search

You have the right

· To demand that your bodily search be carried out only by another female in
a decent manner
· To search any police women before she searches you

Rights at the time of filling first information report (FIR)

You have the right

· To demand that your F.I.R. be registered

· To take along any friend or relative at the time of filling the F.I.R.
· To read the F.I.R. or have someone else read it to you before you sign it
· To receive a free copy of the F.I.R.
· To approach senior police officers or your area magistrate if the police
refuses to register your F.I.R.
 LAWS PERTAINING TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

This chapter deals with the most commonly associated legisla-

tions in relation to cases of violence against women. An attempt has
been made to explain these laws in a lay person’s language, so that it
can be easily understood. It is also to inform people and more particu-
larly, women about the protective legislations that are in place to seek
redress, when subjected to physical and mental torture.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

There is no specific law to deal with domestic violence.

n However the existing criminal law provisions can be used to ini-

tiate proceedings against the husband or his relatives in the Mag-
istrate Court where the incident took place.

n A complaint can be filed under section 498-A explanation (a) for

any physical or mental harassment/torture/abuse, etc.,

n If the abuse/harassment/torture/ill-treatment is not linked with

dowry demands, do not mention dowry demands or file the com-
plaint under section 498-A Explanation (b). However if any mon-
etary/financial demands have been made and the women is sub-
jected to cruelty then file the complaint under both the provisions.
i.e., for harassment and also dowry demands.

n The complaint has be filed as early as possible in the jurisdiction

police station.

n the complaint must contain all the facts and brief narration of the
events-both the past and the immediate cause just before filling
of the complaint.

n These events must be of such a nature that it causes grave in-

jury or danger to the life or health of the women or drives a women
to commit suicide.

n Offences under sec. 498-A are cognizable i.e., the police officer
 can arrest without a warrant and non-bailable i.e., the police them- SECTIONS IN THE INDIAN PENAL CODE RELATING TO VIOLENCE
selves cannot grant bail, and the same has to be obtained in the
Court.
Section Offence Punishment
(Torture both mental and physical come under Sec. 498-A IPC)
302 Murder Death or imprisonment for
life and f i n e
CIVIL REMEDY
323 Voluntarily causing hurt-if a man Imprisonment for 1 years,
has beaten or threatened to beat fine of Rs. 1000 or both.
n Women can file suit under order VII Rule 1 of the Code of Civil
Procedure in the Family Court, where there is no Family Court
in a Civil Court against the husband or relatives who are ha- 324 Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous Imprisonment for 3 years or
rassing the women to seek any of the following orders:- weapons or means fine or both.

n That the spouse or/and his relatives are restrained from oust-
ing the women and her children from the marital home/Matri- 325 Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by Imprisonment for 7 year and
monial home. dangerous weapons or means fine

n That exclusive possession of the matrimonial home should be

granted to the women and her children. 326 Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by Imprisonment for life or for
dangerous weapons or means 10 years and fine.
n That the spouse or/and his relatives may be restrained from
entering the premises or any part of it which is in the women’s
occupation. 327 Voluntarily causing hurt to extort Imprisonment up to 10 years
property or a valuable securing or and fine.
to constrain to do anything which is
n T h a t t h e p e r s o n a l p r o p e r t y o f t h e w o m e n b e r e s t o r e d t o h e r. illegal or which may facilitate the
commission of an offence.
n That the spouse or/and his relatives be restrained from alienat-
ing/transferring the matrimonial home by way of sale, gift, rent 329 Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to Imprisonment for life or up to
or inducting any third party in to the matrimonial home. extort property or a valuable security 10 years and fine.
or do anything which is illegal or
which may facilitate the commission
n That the spouse or/and his relatives be restrained from further of an offence.
abusing/molesting the women or her children.
336 Doing any act which endangers Imprisonment for three
n In case of Hindu women, she can seek for separate residence human life or the months/fine/Rs. 250/both.
under Section 18 of the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act. personal safety of others

337 Causing hurt by an act which Imprisonment for 6 months

endangers human life etc. or fine of Rs. 500/0 or both.
338 Causing grievous hurt by an act Imprisonment for 2 years or n If any person other than the women has actually received dowry, the
which endangers human life etc. fine of Rs. 1000/- or both. Act requires that person should transfer it to the women within 3 months
from the date of marriage or the date of its receipt of the dowry.

341 Wrongfully restraining any persons Simple imprisonment for 1 n Till such transfers are made the man holds the property as a trustee
month or fine or Rs. 500/- or for the benefit of the women. Failure to transfer within 3 months in
both. punishable.

342 Wrongfully confining any person Imprisonment for 1 year or n The property received by a women at the time of marriage is her
fine of Rs. 1000/- or both. “Stridhan” and belongs exclusively to her and the same is to be re-
tained by her notwithstanding from whom she got the property or valu-
343 Wrongfully confining for 3 or 4 days Imprisonment for 2 years or ables.
fine or both.
n The offences under this Act are cognizable, non-bailable and non-
344 Wrongfully confining for 10 or more Imprisonment for 3 years days compoundable.
and fine
n Complaint for dowry harassment may be lodged by the aggrieved party,
347 Wrongful confinement for the Imprisonment for 3 years her parents, or by any recognized welfare institution or by the court on
purpose of extorting property or and fine. its own knowledge (suo motto)
constraining to do an illegal act, etc.
n The presumption of guilt is fastened on the person persecuted unless
355 Assault or use of criminal force with Imprisonment for 2 year or he proves otherwise.
an intent to dishonor a person fine of Rs. 1000/- or both
otherwise than on a grave provocation. n Section 304-B of IPC :- If a women dies within 7 years of her marriage
and she had been subjected just before her death to cruelty or harass-
357 Assault or use of criminal force for Imprisonment for 1 year or ment by her husband or his relative, that such cruelty or harassment
wrongful confinement fine of Rs. 1000/- or both. was in connection with any demand for dowry and that the death is
caused by burns, bodily injuries, or accurred otherwise than under
THE DOWRY PROHIBITION ACT, 1961 normal circumstance, then the husband or relative shall be deemed to
have caused the death and is punishable with imprisonment of not
n Any property agreed to be given in connection with marriage before or less than 7 years which may extend for life.
after the marriage amounts to Dowry.
n If a complaint is being filed under Section 304-B, care should be taken
n Demanding property in connection with marriage is a crime and pun- to narrate the events that took place immediately before her death.
ishable.
n Section 498-A of IPC :- If the husband or the relative of the husband a
n Giving and taking dowry is prohibited and is punishable. women subjects her to harassment with a view to coerce/force her or
n Advertising offering property or money as consideration for the mar- any other person related to her to meet unlawful demands for any
riage is punishable. property or money etc., then the husband or the relative shall be pun-
ishable with imprisonment that may extend up to three years and fine.
n Giving persent to the bride or bridegroom is not considered dowry
provided they are entered in a list to be maintained by both the par-
ties.
 SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN WORK PLACE l Notify, publish and circulate-acts prohibited.

l Provide congenial atmosphere - work-leisure & health hygiene.

No specific law regarding sexual harassment. Supreme Court has laid down No women employee should have grounds to believe that she is having
guidelines in Vishaka’s case (AIR 1997 Supreme Court 3011) disadvantage in connection with her work

n Any unwelcome sexually determined behaviour - direct or implicit viz. l Provide optional transfer, if the victim feels necessary.

n Physical contact and advances l Incorporate sexual harassment in conduct rules.

n Demand or request for sexual favours
l Incorporate in the Industrial Standing Order.
n Sexually coloured remarks
l Initiate disciplinary proceeding.
n Showing pornography
l Initiate criminal proceedings under IPC.
n Any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual na-
ture. l Ensure prevention of victimization and discrimination of victims and wit-
nesses.

Such Acts committed amounts to sexual harassment: l Facilitate discussions in employee-employer meetings.

n When the victim has a reasonable apprehension l Create awareness among women about sexual harassment.
-That such conduct is humiliating
II Duty to Provide Procedure for Resolution Complaint Mechanism
-Constitutes health and safety problem. headed by women.

n When the victim has a reasonable ground to believe that her objections to
such acts would disadvantage, would prejudice her in connection with work,
recruitment, promotion, creates an hostile work atmosphere.
n When non-consent/objections to such acts entails adverse consequences.
DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS AS PER JUDGEMENT
I. Duty to Prevent Commission Acts of Sexual Harassment
l Identify the acts that constitute sexual harassment
l Prohibit acts of sexual harassment - workplace/precincts/residence.
l Penalize commission of acts of sexual harassment.
l Abetment to be defined to include non action of the official concerned.
III Duties of the committee :- provide counselling, medical aid, legal aid,
maintain Confidentiality and time bound inquiry.
RAPE
l Rape is an offence not against the individual but like all crimes in the
Indian Penal Code it is a crime against the State
l Once the incident occurs, it has to be reported immediately without any
delay to the jurisdiction police station. As far as possible the complaint
must be given in writing containing all relevant facts in order to avoid ma-
nipulation. Then the police will investigate the matter and file charge sheet.
l The information, i.e., the person filling the complaint is entitled to a copy of
the First Information Report (FIR).
l The victim must undergo medical examination
 II Persons may be charged with the following sections in a rape case
l The trial is conducted in a court of sessions and not a magistrate court, by
the public prosecutor. 511 Attempt to commit rape Imprisonment for life or
imprisonment half the period
l Like all criminal matters the victim cannot have an independent lawyer, meant for rape
unless she makes an application for appointing a special prosecutor. Any
advocate with 10 years of practice can be appointed as a Special Public 109 Aiding and abetting rape Imprisonment for life & fine.
P r o s e c u t o r.
34 Common intention (gang rape) Imprisonment for life or fine or
PROVISIONS RELATING TO SEXUAL OFFENCES both.
IN THE INDIAN PENAL CODE
201 Suppressing evidence/false
information Imprisonment for 7 yearsand
fine.
Section Offence Punishment
I Rape 342 Wrongful confinement Imprisonment for 1 year/
375 Sexual intercourse by a man with Minimum imprisonment for 7 fine/both.
a women & against her will without years up to life imprisonment 363 Kidnapping Imprisonment for 7 years
her consent or Consent obtained and fine and fine
fraudulently.
417 Cheating Imprisonment for 1 year/
376 Intercourse with his wife who is fine/both
below 12 years of age. Imprisonment for 2 years.
458 House trespass or house breaking
376 A Intercourse by a man with his wife Imprisonment for 2 years by night after preparation for causing
during separation and fine. hurt 14 years and fine

376 B Intercourse by a public servant with Imprisonment for 5 years 354 Assault or criminal force to women Imprisonment for 2 years or
women In his custody. and fine. with an intention to outrage fine or both
her modesty.
376 C Intercourse by Superintendent of Jail, Imprisonment for 5 years
remand Home and fine 509 Outraging the modesty of women Simple Imprisonment for 1
p h y s i c a l l y / v e r b a l l y / g e s t u r e s / e x h i b i t s . year or fine or both
376 D Intercourse by members of Imprisonment for 5 years
management, or staff of a hospital and fine. 499 Defamation Imprisonment for Upto 2
with any women in the hospital years with fine or both

377 Unnatural offence : Voluntary carnal Imprisonment for 10 years 366 Kidnapping, Abducting: with intention Imprisonment for 10 years to
intercourse against the order of nature and fine. compel the women to marry and fine.
with any women i.e., oral or and sex, against her will.
man or animal. In order that she may be forced or
seduced to Illicit Intercourse.
Or knowing that she is likely to be
 compelled into marriage or forced into
illicit intercourse or seduction.
366 A Procuring a girl below 18 years with
intention of or knowledge of the
intention to force or seduce to illicit
intercourse.
l Prevention of sexual exploitation of persons for commercial purposes.
l Soliciting and/or seduction in public places is a crime (Sec. 7 & 8)
Imprisonment for 10 Years
and fine. l Offences involving children/minor-stringent punishment.
l Does not address the health concerns of the persons trafficked.

366 B Importation of girls below 21 years Imprisonment for 10 years l Provides for Rescue and Regabilitation of the prostituted women (Sec.
with intention or knowledge of the and fine. 10 - A, 16 & 17, 21)
intention to force or seduce to
illicit intercourse l. Voluntary rehabilitation (Sec. 19)

367 Kidnapping or abducting with Imprisonment for 10 years l Removal of Prostitutes from any place - on complaint (Sec. 20)
intention of or knowledge of the and fine.
intention to subject a person to l Special enforcement mechanism. (Sec-13-15).
grievous hurt, slavery or to the
unnatural lust of any person. l This does not focus on persons who are voluntarily in this field.

372 Selling a minor person below 18 Imprisonment for 10 years l Provides for mandatory testing for STD (Sec. 15 (5-A).
years for purpose of prostitution or and fine.
for illicit intercourse or for any unlawful OFFENCES :-
and immoral purpose or knowledge of
such intention. X Keeping brothel or allowing the premises to be kept as a brothel.

373 Buying a minor person below 10 Imprisonment for 10 years X Leasing/using a premises for brothel. (landlord/tenant, lessor/lessee)
years for prostitution or for illicit and fine.
intercourse or for any unlawful and X Living on the earnings of prostitution (Sec. 4)
immoral purpose or knowledge of such
intention. X Procuring, inducing, taking a person for the sake of prostitution.

IMMORAL TRAFFIC (PREVENTION) ACT, 1956 X Detaining persons in the brothel/premises where prostitution is carried
on, with an intention to have sexual intercourse with a person who is
l In India prostitution is tolerated and regulated. not a spouse.

l Prostitution is per se not a crime. Prostitution is not abolished/prohib- X Enhanced punishment for subsequent offence.
ited/banned
X Stringent punishment for the above said offence where the person
l The Act intends to criminalize and penalize the Institutions/Industry involved is a child/minor.
(brothel, brothel keepers, procurers, pimps, touts, middleman, land-
lords etc. ). But actually ends up criminalising and penalizing women. X Special Courts are to be set up for trial of cases under this act.

l Trafficking of persons- male/female is prohibited. X An offence under this Act is cognizable i.e., a police officer can arrest
 with out a warrant. contraventions of the Act.

X Special police officer (SPO), not below the rank of Inspector to be X The Indian penal code penalises obscenity.
specified by the State Govt. to deal with matters under this Act. Traf-
ficking police officers to be appointed by Central Govt. to deal with PROVISIONS IN INDIAN PENAL CODE REGARDING OBSCENITY
interstate trafficking.
1. Section 292 Sale of Obscene Books Imprisonment for 2
X Non-official advisory body consisting of not less than 5 leading social years with fine
welfare workers of that area, including women social welfare workers 2. Section 292-A Printing of gross indecent Imprisonment for
to advice on questions of general importance regarding working of the sor scurrilous matter 2 years/fine/both
Act. or matter intended for
blackmail
THE INDECENT REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN 3. Section 293 Sale of obscene Imprisonment 3 years
(PROHIBITION) ACT, 1986 objects to for young with fine
person
X The act prohibits depiction in any manner the figure of women, body 4. Section 294 Obscene Songs Imprisonment for
or any part thereof, in such a way that has the effect of being indecent 3 months
or derogatory to or denigrating women.
THE COMMISSION OF SATI PREVENTION ACT, 1987
X It intends to prevent women being depicted as sex objects in the
media for commercial gain or prevent the commodification of women. X This Act intends to prevent commission of Sati by any one.

X This Act intends to prohibit indecent representations of women in writ- X Any person who commits Sati or does any act towards such commission
ings, paintings, figures or in any manner that is likely to deprave, is punishable with imprisonment that may extend to one year or fine or with
corrupt or injure the public morality or morals. both.

X It penalizes persons who publishes or aranges or takes part in the
publication or exhibition of any advertisement which contain indecent
representation of women in any form.
X It penalises pesons who sell, hire, distribute, circulate or send by
posts any books, pamphlet paper, slide, film, writings, drawings, paint-
ings, photograph figures or representation which contains indecent
representation of women in any form.
X The punishment is imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2
years with fine up to Rs. 2000/-
X However certain exceptions are made in favour of religion, art, learn-
ing and ancient monuments.
X Person abets the commission of such Sati, either directly or indirectly,
shall be punishable with life imprisonment and fine .
X Abetment includes:
X Inducing a woman to commit Sati;
X Making the woman believe that the commission of Sati would result in
some spiritual benefit to her or to the deceased husband’s family;
X Encouraging a woman to remain fixed in her resolve to commit Sati and
thus instigating her to commit Sati.
X Being present at the place where Sati is committed.

X The Act empowers Gazetted officers authorised by the State Govern- X Preventing or obstructing a woman from saving herself from being burnt or
ment to enter and search premises, seize articles and examine records buried alive.
or materials which he has reasons to believe to be in the nature of
X Obstructing or interfering with the police in discharge of their duties of
taking steps to prevent the commission of Sati.
X Glorification of Sati is punishable with imprisonment for not less than one
year which may extend up to 7 years and fine of Rs. 5,000 to Rs.
30,000/-.
X The Government has power to remove the temple or any other structure
which has been in existence for not less than 20 years, where any form of
worship or the performance of any ceremony is carried on with a view to
perpetuate the honour or preserve the memory of the person in respect of
who such Sati has been committed.
The Collector or the District Magistrate has powers to seize properties or
funds that has been acquired or collected for the purpose of glorification
of the commission of Sati.
THE MEDICAL TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY ACT, 1971
l Abortion in India has been legalized since the year 1971.
l The medical practitioners under the following circumstances could per-
form abortion up to 20 weeks of gestation.
l If the doctor is of the opinion that continuance of the pregnancy would
involve a risk to the life of the pregnant woman or would cause grave
injury to her physical or mental health.
l If the continuation of pregnancy causes substantial risk that if the child
were born in would suffer such physical or mental abnormalities as to be
seriously handicapped.
l If the pregnancy caused by rape and the anguish caused by such preg-
nancy is presumed to constitute a grave injury to the mental health of the
pregnant woman.
l If the pregnancy occurs as a result of failure of family planning device, the
anguish caused by such unwanted pregnancy may be presumed to con-
stitute a grave injury to the mental health of the pregnant woman.
l No pregnancy shall be terminated without the consent of the pregnant
woman.
l Termination of pregnancy shall be made only in the hospital established or
maintained by the government or such other places as approved by the
government.
THE PRE-NATAL DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
(REGULATION AND PREVENTION OF MISUSE) ACT, 1994
l The Act prohibits misuse of pre-natal diagnostic techniques for determi-
nation of sex of foetus leading to female foeticide.
l It prohibits advertisement of pre-natal diagnostic techniques for detection
of sex of the child.
l The Act permits and regulates use of pre-natal diagnostic techniques for
the purpose of detection of specific genetic abnormalities or disorders.
l The Act permits use of pre-natal diagnostic techniques only under certain
conditions by registered institutions.
l The conditions are :-
- The age of pregnant woman is above thirty five years
- The pregnant woman has undergone 2 or more spontaneous abortions
or foetal loss.
- The pregnant woman has a family history of mental retardation or physi-
cal deformities such as spasticity or any other genetic disorder.
- The pregnant woman must consent in writing to undergo such proce-
dure.
- The pregnant woman must be explained all known side effects of such
procedure.
l the medical practitioner who offers such services and the person who
seeks such persons are liable for punishment of imprisonment up to 3
years and fine which may extend up to ten thousand. In addition action
can be taken by the Medical Council of India to remove the name of such
doctors who has been convicted for such an offence for a period of 2
years.
l It provides for a Central Supervisory Board consisting of Minister of Fam-
ily Welfare, as the Chairperson, Secretary to Government of India is charge
of Department of Family Welfare, as its Vice Chairperson, and others to
advice the government on policy matters relating to use of pre-natal diag-
nostic techniques, to review implementation of the Act, to creat public
 awareness against the practice of pre-natal determination of sex and fe-
male foeticide, to lay down code of conduct to be observed by persons
working in Genetic Counselling centres, laboratories and clinics.
l The Act empowers the central governments to appointment appropriate
authorities for the union territories and state government to appoint appro-
priate committees to enforce standards prescribed for the genetic coun-
selling laboratories, counselling centers and clinic, monitor registration for
such centers, to investigate complaints of breach of the provisions of the
Act, etc.,
l Since this law was not implemented, a Public Interest Litigation has been
filed in the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court has issued certain
guidelines for effective implementation of the Act, Viz., Centre for enqiry
into Health & Allied Themes (CEHA) and others (2001) 5 Supreme Court
Cases 577.
RAGGING
X There is no central enactment to deal with ragging.
X Some States have enacted special law to deal with the menace of rag-
ging, which is crime. However they have not been effective in curbing the
menace of ragging.
X Therefore the Supreme Court has laid down certain guidelines in Vishwa
Jagriti Mission-vs-Central Government {(2001) 6 Supreme Court Cases
page 577} wherein the educational institution in which the student is studying
is empowered to be the disciplinary authority and that the police action
should not be resorted unless it is unavoidable.
Ragging is defined as:-
Any disorderly conduct by words spoken or written or by an act
X That has the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness any
other student
Indulging in rowdy or undisciplined activities
X Which causes or is likely to cause annoyance, hardship, or psychological
harm or to aise fear or apprehension in fresher of a junior student;
Asking the students to do any act or perform something which such stu-
dent will not do in the ordinary course
X Which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame or embar-
rassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche or a fresher or
junior student.
DUTIES OF THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AS PER
THE SUPREME COURT JUDGEMENT
X The prospectus issued at the time of admission must mention clearly that
ragging is banned in the institution and that any one who indulges in raging
is likely to be punished.
X The punishment may be expulsion from such institution, suspension from
the institution or class for a limited period or fine or public apology,
withholdings of scholarship, debarring from representation in events,
withholdings results, suspension or expulsion from hostel, mess etc.
X The application form shall have printed undertaking to be filled up and
signed by the student and the parents/guardians.
X Students who are already studying in the institution and their parents/
guardian shall also give such an undertaking before the commencement
of the next educational year/session.
X The management, the principal, the teaching staff should interact with
freshers and take them in confidence by appraising them of their rights as
well as obligations to fight against ragging and to generate confidence in
their mind that they should report any incidence of ragging.
X The institutions should constitute proctorial committee to keep a watch
and vigil over ragging so as to prevent its occurrence and recurrence.
X The students must be made aware of the dehumanizing effect of ragging.
X Migration certificate issued by the institutions should have an entry whether
the student had participated in ragging and the punishment.
X If individual committing or abetting ragging is not identified, then collec-
tive punishment could be resorted to act as deterrent punishment and to
ensure collective pressure on the potential reggers.
X Failure to prevent ragging shall be construed as an act of negligence in
maintaining discipline in the institutions on the part of the management,
the principal and the hostel wardens/ superintendents.
X If the institution fails to curb ragging, UGC/Funding agency may consider
stoppage of financial assistance to such an institution.
 Crimes Against Women
(A Select Bibliography)

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Domestic Violence

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