National Commission for Women Launches Extensive Public Hearing Drive Across India
In a significant nationwide initiative aimed at reaching women in distress, the National Commission for Women (NCW), in coordination with state women's commissions, will conduct marathon 'Mahila Jan Sunwais' (public hearings) across the country. This extensive campaign is scheduled to commence on Monday and will continue until March 14, covering an impressive 500 districts spread across 25 states and Union Territories.
Addressing a Backlog of Grievances
Through this ambitious effort, the commission aims to address and resolve nearly 15,000 complaints registered with the NCW and state commissions from these areas. The initiative will handle both walk-in grievances and previously registered cases, providing women with timely support and strengthening institutional response mechanisms.
This campaign represents an extension of the National Commission's flagship outreach program, 'NCW Aapke Dwar'. Last year, this program successfully conducted 100 public hearings across various states to ensure speedy resolution of complaints and also took up fresh cases on the spot.
Leadership and Strategic Focus
Making the announcement ahead of International Women's Day (observed annually on March 8), NCW chief Vijaya Rahatkar revealed that she will personally lead the 'jansunwais' in five states currently without a state commission chairperson. These states include Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Telangana.
Rahatkar will launch the campaign by steering a hearing in Jaipur on March 9. Her itinerary includes subsequent visits to Vadodara (March 10), Bhopal (March 11), Medchal-Malkajgiri (March 12), Deoghar (March 13), and Dumka (March 14).
Regarding Delhi, Rahatkar noted that while the posts of chairperson and members are vacant in the capital, districts from Delhi have not been included in this week-long drive. This exclusion is because the NCW is headquartered in Delhi, and a week-long public hearing was conducted there last year, addressing approximately 2,000 complaints.
Urgent Calls for State Commission Formation
Meanwhile, Rahatkar has already written to the chief secretaries of all five states without commission chairpersons, urging them to constitute their state women's commissions at the earliest opportunity.
Focus on Domestic Violence and Family Disputes
The NCW chief highlighted that experience from the 100 public hearings held last year revealed that a significantly large number of cases involve family disputes, including domestic violence. This troubling reality is well-documented in data trends over the years.
Of all complaints received by the commission's complaint cell last year, domestic violence and dowry harassment alone accounted for over 39% (10,846 cases) of the more than 27,000 complaints registered under various categories of crimes against women nationwide until December 31.
Strategic District Selection and Nationwide Coverage
Rahatkar explained that the 500 districts have been carefully selected based on several factors, including the number of complaints received and the need to reach remote and hilly areas that often lack adequate access to grievance redressal mechanisms.
From jan sunwais in 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh to Manipur's initiative to hold five public hearings—demonstrating strong engagement by the State Women Commission despite challenging circumstances—the coming week will see the NCW take its redressal system to the grassroots across diverse regions.
The campaign will cover states including Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Tripura, and Nagaland, ensuring comprehensive nationwide outreach and support for women in need.
