Union Minister for Women & Child Development launches “Stree Manoraksha Project”

What is the News?

During International Women’s Day week, Union Minister for Women and Child Development has launched “Stree Manoraksha project”.

What is the Stree Manoraksha Project?

Launched by: National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, with support and funding from the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Aim: To provide training and supervision in psychosocial and mental health care for staff and counsellors of all One Stop Centres (OSCs) across the country to support women facing various forms of gender-based violence. 

Why was this project initiated?

According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-2021, one in three married women has experienced Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). However, around 9 in 10 women have never sought help when they faced violence. 

This has made women vulnerable to experiencing debilitating consequences on their mental and physical health. Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the rate of gender-based violence manifold. 

Therefore, mental health support is highly imperative and needs to be tailored to the individual woman and her unique needs. 

Source: This post is based on the article “Union Minister for Women & Child Development launches Stree Manoraksha Project ” published in PIB on 3rd March 2022.