The Hindu reported that Smriti Irani held a video-conferencing with institutes associated with her ministry to ensure women that the government is working for women who may seek protection. 

Her video-conference was joined by around a thousand people, that included members of the One Stop Centres, women from shelter homes and Working Women hostels.  

In her video-conferencing, Ms Irani instructed officials to ensure that One Stop Centres, which provide legal and psychological help to gender violence survivors are working and should be connected with police and medical teams. 

She also suggested the use of digital governance to ensure that women are safe and encouraged this to be done from a state to grassroots NGO level. In an attempt to reach out to more and more women, Smriti Irani has also urged NGOs to try to call at least 10 women every day so as to ensure that “women know that they are not alone”.  

These steps come after many gender rights activists had called for support, helplines, and counselling to be declared as essential services so that women who might be in distress can access help. 

The National Commission for Women (NCW) received 58 complaints from March 23 to March 30, according to data released by PTI, more than a two-fold increase.  

The lockdown is indeed a tough time for everyone, especially women who might be in distress but would have no way to access help. 

These measures rolled out by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani, provide a ray of hope. Still, we have a long way to go to ensure that each and every woman feels safe.