Australian ambassador for Gender Equality visits DCW 181 women distress hotline office

New Delhi [India], May 19 : Stephaine Copus Campbell, Australia's Ambassador for Gender Equality visited Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) 181 Women helpline along with a delegation of the Australian Embassy on Thursday.

The delegation was received by DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal and Member Vandana Singh. The dignitaries were briefed about the functioning and operations of the 181 Women Helpline, said a DCW statement.

The Australian team interacted in depth with the staff and field counsellors of the Commission and appreciated the functioning of DCW.

An Australian delegation of six persons was led by Stephaine Copus Campbell. The 181-Women Help Line is a 24X7 Helpline being operated by the Delhi Commission for Women for attending calls of women and girls in distress, said a DCW statement.

The 24-hour active Women Helpline has been very effective. Each call received on the Helpline is immediately attended to by a team of well-qualified and trained counsellors.

The caller is counselled and her grievance is marked to the concerned authority according to a well-defined SOP, like Delhi Police, Hospitals, Shelter Homes etc for its redressal.

In most cases, a team of counsellors is dispatched to meet the women and girls in distress and assist them. The Commission has rescued several hundreds of girls through calls received on its 181 Women Helpline from trafficking, domestic abuse and child marriages etc.

The Commission has received over 20 lakh calls on its 181 helpline since it was handed over to DCW in February 2016.

Stephaine Copus Campbell and other team members witnessed live counselling by the callers on the helpline. They also interacted with several field counsellors who have undertaken rescue operations as well, said a DCW statement.

For instance, Gita, an MHL (Mobile Helpline) counsellor, informed about a case regarding the rescue of a girl from Rajasthan in 2018. She had been held captive by her parents and her fiance complained regarding the same to the Commission. Thereafter, a team of the Commission led by Gita was sent to Rajasthan to rescue the girl. With great difficulty, and after facing multiple threats from the girl's family's community, the girl was rescued and brought to Delhi. She then married her fiance and now has a child.

Another counsellor Rita informed that in 2021, a complaint was received on 181 wherein the Commission was informed about children being forcibly kept by a lady as domestic help. These children were placed by the woman at different places.

Immediately, a team of the Commission was dispatched to the location and two children, a girl aged 5 years old and a boy aged 10-year-old were rescued from the Bawana area of Delhi. Thereafter, the Commission found the location of other two children in the Chandni Chowk area of Delhi.

The Commission constituted a team of DCW counsellors and civil defence volunteers and reached the location along with Delhi Police. From there, the Commission rescued a 10-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy.

The dignitaries deeply appreciated the functioning of the Commission and its helpline. They were especially impressed with the processes being followed and the passion with which the entire team has been functioning, said a DCW statement.

Campbell and Maliwal interacted at length on issues concerning women and girls in India and Australia and shared best practices being followed in both countries. Discussions were held regarding creating exchange programs so that the functioning of similar institutions in both countries could be strengthened.

"We are pleased to receive Ms Stephanie Campbell, the Australian Ambassador on Gender Equality along with officers from the Australian Embassy at DCW 181 Women Helpline. The helpline and the entire team of the Commission work hard and round the clock to provide assistance to girls and women in the Capital. Stephanie Campbell is a very passionate person deeply interested in the issues concerning women and girls across the globe. She was very inquisitive and interacted at length with the entire team. She was very appreciative of the functioning of the Commission. It was a pleasure interacting with her on global women's issues, and we look forward to further such engagements with the Australian Embassy," said DCW Chief Maliwal.

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