New Delhi: The ‘Childline India’ helpline has received more than 92,000 SOS calls asking for protection from abuse and violence in 11 days. It is an indication that the lockdown has turned into extended captivity not just for many women but also for a lot of children trapped with their abusers at home.
Of the 3.07 lakh calls received by the ‘CHILDLINE 1098’ helpline for children in distress across the country between March 20-31, covering the first week of the lockdown, 30 per cent were about protection against abuse and violence on children, said Harleen Walia, Deputy Director of ‘Childline India’. This comes to about 92,105 calls.
According to Walia, the number of calls after the lockdown, which started after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech March 24, has increased by 50 per cent. The data was shared Tuesday during an orientation workshop for district based child protection units and attended by senior Women and Child Development Ministry officials.
Discussions at the workshop focused on coronavirus-related issues and ways to reduce stress on children during the ongoing lockdown.
Some of the other calls received following the lockdown dealt with physical health (11 per cent of calls), child labour (eight per cent), missing and run away children (eight per cent) and homeless (five per cent), according to figures shared by Walia in the meeting. During the meeting Harleen Walia suggested the helpline be declared an essential service during the lockdown.
Many women who are victims of domestic violence are also more vulnerable during the lockdown.
National Commission of Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma recently said domestic violence complaints have been increasing by the day since the nationwide lockdown was imposed with 69 complaints received just through email. From March 24 till April 1, 257 complaints related to various offences against women were received.
India is currently under the biggest lockdown with around 1.3 billion people asked to stay home in view of the coronavirus outbreak, which has claimed at least 149 lives and infected more than 5,300 people.
Child rights bodies recently wrote to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), asking the government to make 1098 a COVID-19 emergency outreach number.
In a joint statement, an alliance of six leading child development organisations (ChildFund India, Plan India, Save the Children India, SOS Children’s Villages of India, Terre des hommes and World Vision India) April 2 asked the government to provide uninterrupted access to critical services for the most vulnerable children and their families.
PTI