Over 36,000 calls made to women’s helpline

SHILLONG, Nov 29: The women’s helpline number 181 in Meghalaya has received over 36,000 calls, most of them seeking protection from abuse and violence, Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh said on Wednesday.
The women’s helpline number 181 was launched in February 2022.
“We have received 36,362 calls on the number 181 as of date for which 477 cases have been registered, 158 cases are active and 304 are closed,” Lyngdoh said.
“The response has not been bad considering that in a state where we generally tend to hide things and don’t go beyond the four walls of our house, women are making use of the number 181. The fact that over 36,000 calls were made since the service was activated shows that the response has been high,” he added.
The minister said the state government has decided to integrate the women’s helpline 181 and child helpline 1098 to ensure round-the-clock service to attend to distress calls.
Director of Social Welfare, Camelia Doreen Lyngwa said the government is also taking the help of self-help groups (SHGs) to help families and taking them to the one-stop centre to help women in distress get the proper support system available under the department. (PTI)