SHILLONG: The city needs more safe space and shelter homes for vulnerable women, said experts on Friday.
Addressing a gathering at a programme on ‘re-visioning shelter homes, state level dissemination of action research and study of female survivors’ in the city, Joy Grace Syiem, programme coordinator of North East Network (NEN), said Meghalaya did not have any shelter home for women till the middle of last year.
In 2018, two Swadhar Greh Homes were sanctioned — one in Nongstoin (West Khasi Hills) and the other in Shillong (East Khasi Hills).
“There is an urgent need to create more safe spaces and shelter homes for women in all districts,” Syiem said.
Theilin Phanbuh, the chairperson of Meghalaya State Commission for Women, urged the state government to homes for women.
“Proper shelter homes for women are crucial. The government should take the initiative to provide a place by providing land or fund for construction,” she said.
Phanbuh pointed out that though the land tenure system in the state poses a problem, the government should have “some provisions” for NGOs.
She encouraged NGOs to set up homes with government support.
The study focusing on safe spaces for women was conducted in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Assam and Meghalaya.
NEN conducted it in the state.
NEN interviewed 16 women from alternate safe spaces like Meghalaya Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Science, Ganesh Das Hospital, Hindu Mission, a shelter home for children in Lawsohtun that also caters to some women too.
In their interaction with NEN, the women rued lack of infrastructure.
“There is no mechanism for a woman to voluntarily go and say that she needs shelter in a safe space,” said Syiem.
)Speaking about vulnerable groups like trans-women, sex workers and drug users, Syiem said many among them take shelter in bus depots and other open spaces.
She narrated the stories of women who would commit crime to get shelter in jail. “They would say that due to climatic conditions, they would commit petty crimes such as theft and robbery so that they can stay in jail and that way they can get shelter. This was being said by a lot of trans-women in Shillong,” she said.
NEN will submit the recommendations to the state government. Syiem also laid emphasis on vocational training at shelter homes.
